RLC Weekly: Delivering Good News
Dear Colleagues,
As reports continue to show easing inflation and a strong job market, the Regional Leadership Council (RLC) is hard at work bringing good economic news back to their communities. They are connecting the Investing in America agenda to the goals of local leaders and ensuring people know how the 117th Congress delivered lower costs and investments in their future. This newsletter will provide a brief overview of Members’ recent events and upcoming funding opportunities:
Meeting Local Needs
One of the cornerstones of the RLC is to identify key funding opportunities that will make a difference in people’s lives. Recently, RLC Region 6 Leader Rep. Fletcher (TX-07) secured $1.4 million in federal funding for local leaders to address racial health disparities in maternal health care across Harris County, Texas. Read here to learn more about how Rep. Fletcher is improving access to quality health care in her community.
RLC Region 8 Leader Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09) held another roundtable to connect local stakeholders with the Investing in America agenda, this time with the White House Initiative on Advancing Education Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans. This event is another example of RLC leaders informing their constituents about how House Democrats and the Biden-Harris Administration are working together to knock down barriers and inform families about the life-changing opportunities made possible by the 117th Congress.
Ensuring Progress
As more funding from the Investing in America agenda becomes available, RLC members are connecting investments with the people who need it most. As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Fusion Caucus, RLC Region 12 Leader Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) is fighting to ensure American innovators have the tools they need to harness the power of clean energy sources. Her event highlighted the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) decision to award $46 million to Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) as part of their milestone-based commercial fusion energy development program. Rep. Trahan said, "When I first put pen to paper drafting the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program three years ago, I had today’s announcement in mind.” Read more here.
In addition, RLC Region 5 Leader Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) applauded the Jefferson County Public Utility District for receiving $13.8 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture ReConnect Loan and Grant Program. This funding was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will provide “high-speed internet to more than 650 additional households.” Read more of the story here.
Telling a Story
The Investing in America agenda positively impacts our communities every day. Recently, RLC Region 2 Leader Rep. Huffman (CA-02) shared a testimonial from a constituent about how the infrastructure investments made in the last Congress are helping fishermen on the North Coast of California protect local jobs. Here is the newsletter and his quote:
What’s Next?
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The U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Services released guidance on key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act to expand the reach of the clean energy tax credits. This will help governments and nonprofits that would otherwise not benefit from tax incentives create good-paying jobs, lower energy costs for families, and advance American innovation. Please click here for the link to the press release.
- The Center for American Progress recently unveiled a database of all the investments from the Investing in America agenda. This announcement follows the launch of Invest.gov, which documents the transformational investments currently happening across the country. Click here to see more from the Center for American Progress and their implementation tracker.
For more updates on how to implement the Investing in America Agenda in your community, please follow us on social media and share your story on how these investments are making a difference in your district. You can also visit our website for additional resources to help track these historic investments.