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Today, the House approved the INVEST in America Act with Congresswoman Suzan DelBene’s (WA-01) support. The legislation is a five-year, $715 billion surface transportation and water infrastructure bill that will create good-paying jobs by rebuilding and reimagining our nation's roads, bridges, transit, rail, and wastewater and drinking water infrastructure.

The INVEST in America Act contains over $17.6 million in infrastructure projects for Washington’s 1^st Congressional District championed by DelBene, including $11.4 million in road and bridge repairs, $1.2 million for culvert replacements, and $5 million in trail connections. 

In April, DelBene submitted projects to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for consideration. The committee included nine of DelBene’s requests in the package. The legislation now goes to the Senate, which is expected to take up its own surface transportation proposal. This legislative package is separate from the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal but also meets key pieces of President Biden’s jobs agenda.

“Infrastructure means jobs and long-term economic growth in our communities. House passage of the INVEST in America Act is a significant step towards jumpstarting these projects in Washington’s 1^st District, getting people back to work, and revitalizing our communities following the COVID-19 pandemic,” said DelBene. “Infrastructure is more than roads and bridges, however. It is what connects us to our jobs, families, and lives. That’s why we need to also pass the American Jobs Plan that will help us expand affordable broadband access, create more affordable housing, and invest in our caregiving workforce.”

The projects included in the legislation are:

Project submissions came directly from city, county, Tribal, and state entities, and all requests submitted to the committee were done in collaboration with project sponsors.

DelBene previously visited the U.S. 2 Trestle in Lake Stevens to highlight the need to replace the aging structure and pass infrastructure legislation.

The legislation also includes key amendments cosponsored by DelBene that will support Washington state’s infrastructure needs. They include:

• Border project flexibility – Allows border states the option to set aside more infrastructure funding for border infrastructure projects such as highways, border crossing facilities, and IT improvements.
• Culvert restoration – Creates a new grant program for culvert restoration to support fish passage and recovery.
• High-speed rail funding – Includes an additional $5 billion for high-speed rail throughout the country.

More information about the surface transportation bill can be found here.