New Funding for Septa From Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, last Friday was a big day for infrastructure in the Philadelphia region.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Philly to announce the first tranche of funding for bridges under the new law, including $1.6 billion for Pennsylvania bridges.

That afternoon, I got to highlight how funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will improve our regional public transit system, known as SEPTA.

Over the next 5 years, SEPTA will receive more than $500 million more than expected. That money will help SEPTA accelerate repair efforts, including rehabilitation projects, vehicle replacement, and improving accessibility of rail and trolley stations.

While all of these upgrades are needed, the forthcoming work on accessibility is especially important. In fact, it is essential. People across our region rely on SEPTA every day to get to work, take their kids to school, buy groceries, go to the doctor, and more. Our neighbors should be able to complete these daily tasks without having to plan around which station has an elevator to accommodate a wheelchair or which stop is easier to get a baby stroller in and out of.

I am glad the infrastructure funding that Congress and President Biden delivered will help get this much-needed work done more quickly. Our Delaware Valley residents deserve it. Election Workers are Essential

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Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise because we have seen a continuous assault on voting rights and election integrity in recent years, pushed by partisan operatives, foreign governments and, most disturbingly, some of our own elected officials.

Over the weekend, the former President pressed members of his party in Pennsylvania to plant more Republican operatives in our election system in order to influence the counting of votes.

The former President said, ``We have to be a lot sharper the next time when it comes to counting the vote. Sometimes the vote counter is more important than the candidate.'' That is just wrong.

I will be the first to agree that our election workers are essential, but not because they are supposed to change the results in our elections for one political party or another. That is not how American elections work. Here, the people decide.

This kind of mindset is exactly why it is so important to have people of good character trained and ready to execute the duties of poll workers faithfully. Poll workers are the first line of defense for ensuring the right to vote. They help voters overcome challenges, both bureaucratic and physical, at the polls. They also help educate the public about how safe and effective our election system really is.

We need more engaged citizens who want to contribute to our democracy to get involved and sign up to be poll workers in our communities. I encourage my constituents to reach out to their county election officials today to learn more about this unique opportunity to uphold our democratic system and help ensure that all eligible voters are able to exercise their most essential freedom, the right to vote. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Delivers Benefits

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Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, one of the highlights of congressional action last year was the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and we are already seeing the impact in my district, Pennsylvania's 5th, and the greater Philadelphia region.

Just before the holidays, EPA Administrator Regan joined me at the Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site to announce that the agency had committed millions in funding from that infrastructure bill to this project, moving its anticipated completion date up to 2023.

At this former landfill, chemicals had leached into the soil and groundwater for decades in the largely minority community of Eastwick. Thanks to funding from the new infrastructure package, many sites like Lower Darby Creek will see their cleanup accelerated, and nearly 50 additional Superfund sites will get the green light to be cleaned up.

Less pollution, safer communities, and more jobs.

I am proud to deliver these benefits to PA-05 through the bipartisan infrastructure law.

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