June 21, 2024 In The News Dear Colleagues, The Regional Leadership Council (RLC) and House Democrats utilized the District Work Period to share the latest implementation updates from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda with their local communities. Here are a few of the highlights from those visits. Regional RLC Leaders have distributed a survey to determine Members’ interest in having administrations officials for district visits. Please complete these forms as soon as possible. Lowering At-Home Energy Costs Many House Democrats are highlighting what Democrats' Investing in America agenda is doing to lower energy costs and reduce pollution. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm toured a Las Vegas home to discuss how the Solar for All program is lowering at-home energy audits by 30%. Rep. Horsford emphasized how President Biden’s clean energy plan will create solar energy jobs and lower long-term energy costs in Nevada. Watch local news coverage of this visit here. Additionally, RLC Leader Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) and Rep. Yadira Caraveo (CO-08) celebrated clean energy investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act this week. Rep. Trahan traveled to Billerica, MA, to meet with leaders from Cabot Corporation, a Massachusetts based company working to create sustainable energy alternatives, to see how $5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is creating good-paying jobs. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Rep. Caraveo in Northern Colorado to discuss how a $9 million investment from the Inflation Reduction Act is supporting the Poudre Valley Rural Electrification Association. Rep. Caraveo stated this transformational grant will "help them achieve 80% carbon-free energy by 2030." Read more on Secretary Vilsack's visit here and here. The RLC encourages Members to use new district-by-district reports to show how the Investing in America agenda is investing in clean energy, improving water infrastructure, and implementing environmental protections across the country. Please find these reports on the RLC's website and the methodology here. Investing in Rural Communities In Georgia, Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., (GA-02) joined Julie Su, Acting Secretary of the United States Department of Labor (DOL), and Steve Benjamin, President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, at Albany State University to discuss the CHIPS and Science Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and more. Read local news coverage on this visit here and here. In Mississippi, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, welcomed U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Tougaloo College for a roundtable discussion on the over 400 infrastructure projects, made possible by the Investing in America agenda, underway across the state. Read more from Secretary Buttigieg's visit to the Magnolia State here. Additionally, Rep. Pat Ryan (NY-18) accompanied Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to a new workforce development center in the Hudson Valley. During the visit, Rep. Ryan discussed the ways that Democratic policies such as the CHIPS and Science Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are creating new opportunities across the country. Read more from the visit here. Advancing Equity Thanks to the Investing in America agenda, Democrats continue to advance equity across the country. Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) and Adrianne Todman, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), discussed the Administration's ongoing work to boost affordable housing supply and addressing racial disparities in home ownership. For more on the Administration's efforts to address housing costs through the American Rescue Plan and more, click here. RLC Leader Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09) connected federal infrastructure investments to local economic success in Kissimmee, FL. Rep. Soto spoke with News 6 (WKMG) about how lane expansion could reduce traffic congestion and boost economic development across Florida's 9th Congressional District. What Else? The White House launched a new webpage, The Biden-Harris Lowering Costs Agenda. This new resource lists all the actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, from overdraft fees and gas prices to housing costs and utility bills. The U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to announce $1.5 billion in grant funding for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program next week. See this link for future news. The Department of the Interior's (DOI) Bureau of Reclamation announced its second tranche of rural water funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to six projects in Iowa, Montana, and New Mexico. Read more from DOI 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.