RLC Weekly: Giving Thanks to Long Overdue Investments

November 22, 2024
In The News

Dear colleagues,

House Democrats continue supporting the implementation of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda to ensure the American dream is accessible and available to all. Here are the recent ways that Congressional Democrats have highlighted the impact of elements of the Investing in America agenda, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act:

Delivering Long Overdue Investments

Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) applauded the Biden-Harris Administration's $125 million investment in large-scale water recycling projects this week by underscoring what it means for his district. Thanks to a new $60.4 million grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the City of Ventura’s large scale water recycling program is receiving continued support to produce an estimated 3,600 acre-feet of recycled water each year. Rep. Carbajal was "grateful for the dedication of the Biden-Harris Administration to continue rolling out these overdue investments in our infrastructure." Read more about this project and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's trip to Ventura here.

Announcing Continued CHIPS and Science Act Funding

From New York to Arizona, House Democrats are informing their constituents about a new wave of CHIPS and Science Act funding. These announcements have caught the attention of local news in North Carolina, as ABC11 reported that "Durham to be home base for new 'Smart USA' CHIPS manufacturing, a first-of-its-kind." Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02) posted on social media that "investments like these cement America's manufacturing rebirth." Read more from North Carolina here. Be sure to read how the Department of Commerce is entering negotiations to advanced packaging research projects here.

Growing Bipartisan Support for... Direct File?

As the "volunteer outsiders" of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) make their case for extremely partisan reforms, the RLC was pleased to see that one idea borrows heavily from the Investing in America agenda. The Washington Post reports that Elon Musk is proposing a mobile app that can let Americans file their taxes for free. The RLC is grateful that Direct File has already allowed more than 140,000 Americans to file their taxes for free online in 2023-24, and it will continue to do so for the more than 30 million taxpayers in 24 states this upcoming filing season.

What Else?

  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it has delivered over $1.4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act. This announcement comes as they awarded $30 million from the Green and Resilient Retrofit program this week. Read more from HUD here.
  • The Department of Education announced that over 1 million public servants and 4.8 million Americans have benefited from debt relief under the Biden-Harris Administration through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Read more on this latest announcement here.
  • The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announced that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will award an additional $4.8 million to remediate abandoned mine lands in Kansas. Read more here.

For more updates on how to help implement the Investing in America agenda locally, please follow us on social media and share your story on how these investments are making a difference in your community. You can also visit our website for additional resources that will help track these historic investments.