RLC Weekly: Visionary Leadership

January 17, 2025
In The News

Dear colleagues,

Because of President Biden and Vice President Harris's decisive leadership and visionary Investing in America agenda, we were able to build back the American economy even stronger than before the pandemic by securing historic investments to rebuild our infrastructure, revitalize domestic manufacturing, expand access to affordable health care, combat the climate crisis, build safer communities, and much more. This RLC Weekly features the latest news on the implementation of these investments, as well as examples of House Democrats highlighting where these policies have impacted their communities. Please reach out to the RLC for assistance on how best to monitor the ongoing implementation of Biden-era policies. And, if you haven't already, please read the White House's Investing in America Agenda Report, which goes into further detail on these investments.

Saving Money and Water

Reps. Susie Lee (NV-03) and Dina Titus (NV-01) joined Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton to highlight the significance of a $60 million federal investment in Southern Nevada Water Authority's (SNWA's) Water Smart Landscapes Rebate Program. This program pays Nevadans to convert their home's grass lawns into natural landscapes. It is one of the many water conservation projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, which Rep. Titus says will "remove 23M square feet of turfgrass to save our region over 187k acre-feet of water." Learn more on this project here and here.

Tracking Infrastructure Improvements

It is fitting that on the final week of the Biden-Harris Administration that House Democrats shared the continued implementation of infrastructure investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and more. Here's a short list:

  • Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) highlighted a $1.4 million award to help support the building of an 8.7 mile path that would connect the Santa Ynez Reservation with other parts of the Santa Ynez Valley.
  • Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and the entire Connecticut Congressional Delegation applauded a $11.6 million for the Hartford Line.
  • Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) announced a $23 million grant to deliver clean busses and vehicles to a public transportation system in her region.
  • Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-12) celebrated a $1.9 billion loan to finance the replacement of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's Bus Terminal.
  • Reps. Dwight Evans (PA-03), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), and Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), and Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, announced over $11 million to build EV charging ports across the city.

For more inspiration, please go to the RLC's district reports to find projects at or near your district. You can also see out this template report to help your office create a report that is most reflected of your district.

Supporting Direct File

RLC Chair Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined over 140 Senators and Members of Congress in writing to Treasury Secretary-Designate Scott Bessent and Internal Revenue Services’ (IRS) Commissioner-Designate Billy Long, urging them to maintain and expand the IRS’ Direct File program. This service, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, is now available in 25 states to provide a free and safe way for approximately 32 million eligible people to file taxes online. Shortly after this letter was published, Bessent committed to maintaining Direct File during the upcoming tax filing season during his Senate confirmation hearing. Read more on House Democrats' work on this issue here and here.

What Else?

  • The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced its latest Tech Hubs investments this week by stating plans to award approximately $210 million in implementation grants to six Tech Hub Designees. Read more here.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released their Investing in America Report to encapsulate the agency’s implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Find the report here.
  • U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced the closing of a $1.66 billion loan guarantee to Plug Power Energy Loan Borrower, LLC, which will help finance the production of clean hydrogen across several states. Read the story here.
  • The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finalized its partnership with Natcast by delivering up to $6.3 billion to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). This award follows the previously announced intent to invest over $5 billion in the NSTC. Read more here.
  • Climate Power's latest Clean Energy Boom Report finds the United States has surpassed 400,000 new clean energy jobs since the Inflation Reduction Act was enacted. Read the report 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.