Lujan Statement on House Democrats Plan to Invest in Infrastructure and Create Good-Paying Jobs

Statement

This week, House Democrats announced a bold plan to rebuild America's infrastructure, create new, good-paying jobs, and combat the climate crisis. This proposal includes legislation championed by Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the U.S. House Assistant Speaker, to improve broadband access in rural communities.

The sweeping plan will create an estimated 10 million jobs by investing $760 billion over five years in America's infrastructure, including $86 billion to bolster broadband access and bridge the digital divide in rural and Tribal communities. In New Mexico, less than half of rural New Mexicans have access to high-speed, fixed broadband.

"For communities in New Mexico, modernizing our infrastructure goes beyond repairing our bridges and roads -- it requires investments to bridge the digital divide to increase opportunities and address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. That's why I'm glad this package tackles the issues facing our nation's aging infrastructure and puts real resources into improving broadband access," said Luján. "Investing in infrastructure development is one of the most effective measures we can take to bolster our communities and create opportunities for working Americans, and I'm proud to support this important package."

Key highlights of the infrastructure package include:

Combatting the climate crisis by creating a path for zero-carbon pollution from the transportation sector and reducing greenhouse gas pollution, creating green jobs, investing in clean energy and promoting environmental justice;
Supporting existing infrastructure and enabling the completion of critical projects through long-term, sustainable funding;
Expanding broadband access, including in rural and Tribal communities, to bridge the digital divide and promote digital equity;
Supporting American businesses and industries through strong Buy America protections and worker protections;
Modernizing 9-1-1 public safety networks to keep Americans safe.

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