Warren Chairs Banking Subcommittee Field Hearing in Lowell, Highlights Impacts of Federal Infrastructure Funding for Massachusetts

Press Release

"This hearing will come to order.

Good afternoon, and welcome to today's hearing on The Economic Impact of Federal Investments in Massachusetts. This is a hearing of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy. I chair this subcommittee, which oversees issues of economic growth in this country.

Given this subcommittee's focus, it's no surprise that we're here today to talk about one of the key drivers of economic growth: public investment.

One of the most important things I do every day as a senator is make sure that federal government officials are aware of the Commonwealth's needs, and that our communities, our residents, and our small businesses get the federal support they need. To get that done, I work with my partner Ed Markey, who tirelessly advocates for Massachusetts in the Senate, and with our hardworking House partners, including Congresswoman Lori Trahan from right here in Lowell. Now, in Washington, we've also worked with everyone, both Republicans and Democrats, to deliver for our Commonwealth.

In just the last two-and-a-half years, we've worked with President Biden on historic legislation to bring nearly $8 billion in federal funding for projects to expand our infrastructure, public safety, research, and transportation projects right here in Massachusetts.

With President Biden and the leadership of Democrats in Congress, our nation has made truly historic investments. The American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act. Four bills, two passed with Republican support, and two passed entirely by Democrat. Four bills that have delivered money to fund hundreds of projects and thousands of jobs here in Massachusetts.

This work has made a difference that can be seen all around the state.

We've supported firefighters with over $270 million in federal funding.

We've secured $185 million in federal funding to help connect every home, school, and business in Massachusetts with affordable broadband.

We've fought for funding to repair and replace aging infrastructure and bridges that pose safety risks to drivers, pedestrians, and businesses, including, right here in Lowell, the Broadway Street, Market Street, Lawrence Street, and Swamp Locks Pedestrian bridges, and roads and highways all across the Commonwealth.

As we discussed earlier today, we have secured commitments for hundreds of millions of dollars to begin replacement of the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges on Cape Cod.

We have invested in public transit, including federal funding for the Green Line extension, our ongoing work to make sure the T is safe and reliable, and $275 million in federal support for transit capital and operating expenses, funding for transit systems in Barnstable, Springfield, Worcester, and other cities and rural communities throughout the state.

We're supporting clean energy and a clean environment. We fought for and won $1.5 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the EPA's Brownfields Program, and now 14 communities here in the Commonwealth, including Worcester, Berkshire, Springfield, Ware, and Westford, have received federal grants to clean up polluted, abandoned and neglected properties and redevelop them into meaningful community assets.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill created the Clean School Bus Program. Last year, five Massachusetts school districts, Fall River, Lawrence, Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, New Bedford, and Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical, received nearly $30 million through the program to buy dozens of clean, new, electric school buses. And there's more money on the way.

We've fought for billions of dollars in new funding for research and innovation, including nearly doubling the funding for the National Science Foundation. Together, the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health have supported thousands of jobs here in Massachusetts and thousands of scientists at all of our great research institutions, including nearly $12 million in funding right here at UMass Lowell.

Last year, we learned that the Department of Energy was providing two Massachusetts companies, 6K Inc. and Ascend Elements, more than $530 million for innovative battery manufacturing, recycling, and materials processing.

All of this federal support means that Massachusetts will continue to be a leader in research and innovation, building a cleaner future for our children and grandchildren and creating thousands of good-paying jobs here at home.

And there's more. This year, with the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, we secured legislative earmarks worth nearly $225 million to support 160 community projects across Massachusetts. I just have to name a few. Funding for Home Base and Massachusetts General Hospital so that we can support the families of fallen veterans, funding for childcare services for homeless families in Boston, funding for the North Shore Workforce and Career Mobility Program in Salem, funding for Cape Abilities to support adults with significant disabilities, and dozens more projects like these.

Governor Healey and her administration have been strong partners, helping to identify needs, and doing everything they can to identify, plan, prepare for, and implement infrastructure and other projects that receive federal funding. I am extraordinarily glad that she's going to be able to join us today.

The Biden administration has worked to pass historic, bipartisan legislation, and then officials have been working just as hard as anybody to set up and implement these programs. I appreciate Dr. Kathleen Hogan, from the Department of Energy, and Carlos Monje from the Department of Transportation joining us today to testify about their work.

And finally, we've heard from and listened to, and worked with leaders in local communities to make sure their needs are met. And I appreciate Dr. Bourque, the Co-Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Dr. Chen, the Chancellor right here at UMass Lowell, and Mr. Lou Antonellis, from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who took the time today to give us their firsthand account of how this federal support makes a difference for families, small businesses, schools, and communities all over the Commonwealth.

So, thank you all for being with us today.

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Thank you very much.

And I, again, I appreciate both of you being here and appreciate all the money you're bringing.

So, we're talking about billions of dollars of investments here. And there are dozens of ways that these investments are going to help families and small businesses and communities all around the Commonwealth. But, I just want to start with transportation.

Mr. Monje, you help oversee transportation policy for the Department of Transportation for our whole country. You've worked in a lot of different jobs in federal government for more than two decades. And, I just thought you'd be perfectly situated to explain a little bit about the scale of what's going on here.

When you think about your career in public service, how significant is the federal investment in transportation projects that is occurring now, under the Biden administration?

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More good union jobs?

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So, I tell you what, we'll get back to some of these. I just want to make sure we get this laid out, because we also did some research on this.

This is the largest federal investment in public transit effort ever. It is the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. It is the single largest dedicated investment in bridges since the construction of the Interstate Highway System. So, all powerfully important.

Can I ask you, I just want to drill down on one of these. And that's bridge funding, which has been particularly important right here in Lowell.

Mr. Monje, how much federal funding is Massachusetts set to receive through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for bridge replacement and repairs?

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That is terrific. And it is also good to see that we are pouring money in to make sure that our public transit system is greener.

Today, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has awarded Massachusetts about $135 million for clean transit buses and improved bus service through a Department of Transportation program aimed at helping state and local governments purchase either zero-emission or low-emission buses and the facilities needed to support these buses.

Mr. Monje, could I just ask you, is investing in low-emission or zero-emission buses something that if we didn't do this at the federal level, then the state and local governments typically would be able to pick it up on their own and make that transition from old dirty diesel buses to these clean new buses?

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Yes, and I want to add, I really appreciate the Department of Transportation. Not only is it helping us replace the buses, it is also helping build the facilities so you've got charging stations and can actually keep them up and running. So, we're reducing the cost for our towns on this.

I also want to ask about what it means to be unlocking scientific advances that will fuel the next generation of energy technology.

I feel like, in this area, Massachusetts has no equal. We have researchers at UMass Lowell and MIT and Northeastern who are already using federal funding to develop new semiconductor materials, to test and monitor drinking water for communities across the Commonwealth, and to create academic networks to increase engineering degrees among underrepresented groups.

You know, government-supported research has long been a critical ingredient in generating innovation that supercharges our economy. And that's why one of my top goals, from the day I was elected to the Senate, has been to double the funding for the National Science Foundation, which is our government's premier research program for scientific research. And, it's also why I introduced legislation called the National Institutes of Clean Energy Act, to invest $400 billion in a system of institutes at the Department of Energy, dedicated to research and development of advanced clean energy technology.

Now, The CHIPS and Science Act, which Congress passed last year, set up a program very similar to the one I have proposed. When fully funded, it will send billions of dollars to the Department of Energy to invest in basic scientific research related to clean energy technologies.

Dr. Hogan, we often talk in fields like biology or chemistry how basic research can unlock advances, for example, in treating cancer. How does the work that our research universities and our national laboratories do on basic science of energy help us in the long run to fight climate change?

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School buses.

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That is terrific. And I just want to dig a little deeper actually on one piece of that. And that is how federal funding helps us grow our economy. And I'm thinking right now about batteries and the work that's being done around batteries.

The Department of Energy has created, out of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this energy innovation hub focused on spring innovations about batteries. Now, batteries are going to be critical to our clean energy goals, particularly when it comes to transition to electric vehicles.

Dr. Hogan, can you just say a word about why federal funding for something as basic as batteries is so important to accelerate the growth of the electric vehicle market?

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So, that was my third question.

So it's basic research, its batteries. But, could you say a little bit more about how the work you're doing is also about supply chains and why this is so critical to a clean future?

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That's really terrific. Thank you, Dr. Hogan. Thank you both. Really appreciate your being here.

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Thank you. It's terrific to have you here today.

Your administration has hit the ground running and we are proud to be your partners in making sure that the federal government in Washington is providing the resources needed to support both infrastructure and economic development right here in the Commonwealth.

Now, we've been talking all day about the historic scale of federal investments that have been made during President Biden's first two years in office. Everything from bridges to scientific research to public transit.

But as unprecedented as these investments are, there is still a limited number of federal dollars available. That means there is fierce competition all across the country to bring these dollars home.

In many cases, states and localities must demonstrate that they are willing to bring their funds to the table to combine with federal dollars in order to receive a federal grant.

Governor Healey, can you just say a little about, how did you approach the task of making sure that Massachusetts would have the matching funds that it would need to be competitive to win federal grants?

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We're fine with those.

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I just want to say -- you've only been here nine months and that really is extraordinary because we're talking about the unprecedented amount of money that's available, but this money is not available just because someone puts it in a nice big box, puts a ribbon on top, and hands it over. People have to go out and compete for it and you and your team have just done an extraordinary job of lining up Massachusetts and Massachusetts schools, Massachusetts towns, Massachusetts institutions, Massachusetts companies to take maximum advantage of every federal dollar that you could get your hands on.

And all I can say is, Ed and I are there all the way with you on this. I'm just going to ask you one more question and then hand it over to Senator Markey. And that is -- we've talked a lot about the bridges, we've talked some about transit -- both mass transit, school buses, and so on. Where else are federal resources needed to help grow the economy in the Commonwealth?

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We always want to ask for more.

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Thank you. You can see it out the window.

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Thank you. Thank you so much. That's a terrific statement, Dr. Bourque.

So we've been talking about the importance of infrastructure. It's about traffic. It's about clean air. It's about clean water. It's about building a future. It's about our research, but it's also about jobs. And I want to focus on that for just a minute because we haven't had as much conversation on it.

I was looking at the stats on the Boston Logan Airport renovation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law set aside a billion dollars to improve airports around the country. Logan Airport received the largest grant of any major airport in the entire nation, and it's being used and has been used to fund the work on terminal E.

Mr. Antonellis, you're a labor leader here in Massachusetts. Tell me who's carrying out the work at Logan to modernize Terminal E.

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A 1,000 total construction jobs!

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That is terrific.

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And not just 1000 jobs, but 1000 good union jobs.

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That's terrific, and jobs that are being used for apprentices as well. That is terrific.

So when President Biden came to Boston to announce this investment, he said, "Logan is more than an airport. It's an economic engine."

Chancellor Chen, I want to ask you, you lead UMass Lowell, so this may seem like an odd question. But is it important to the university here in Lowell that Boston has a world class airport?

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Great. So airports are a great example, but airports are not the only example of jobs that have been funded through these new investments in infrastructure.

Mr. Antonellis, can you just name a few other major projects that your members are working on right now that have benefited from federal dollars?

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Yeah, deservedly.

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Yeah, and I know, look, I'm aggravated with the T right now, so are a lot of people, but this is how we make it better. And it's not going to get better on its own. It's only gonna get better if we make the investment and we have good workers there straightening this out, and I appreciate the work.

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We need it.

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That's exactly right. Exactly right.

Another piece, and you picked up on this Dr. Bourque, that's exciting about the investments in infrastructure is helping electrify the local school bus fleets. And last June, I sent a letter to the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, you may remember this, highlighting the benefits of electrifying the Commonwealth school bus fleet and encouraging members of your association to take full advantage of the EPA's newly announced $5 billion investment in the Clean School Bus grants program.

I just, you got part way there, but I just want to give you a minute to say something more about it. Why do we need to care about bringing school buses? After all, the kids can get delivered on those old diesel school buses. Why does it matter so much?

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Yeah, I like that. I like that.

I also want to pick up. You made the point about access to computers and the kids having access, and very important, but I was thinking as well about the gaps in high speed internet access. You know, the Commonwealth's highest income counties, more than 70% of residents have high speed internet, but out in Berkshire County, the number drops to 39%. Fewer than half a fewer than half of the residents in Franklin County and Hampshire County have access to broadband. And, I think that's one of the reasons that another exciting part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the American Rescue Plan is the massive investment in broadband, to finish, to get broadband everywhere. $90 billion, the largest federal investment in high speed internet in our nation's history.

So, Dr. Bourque, you work with school superintendents across the Commonwealth. Can you just say a little bit more, you talked about the computers themselves, but what it means to have access to broadband?

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Yeah, that's actually a very good point. You know, this is part of the reason that Senator Markey and I were very pleased to help bring $175 million in federal funding to Massachusetts with the goal of bringing online the parts of Massachusetts that don't have access to high speed internet. Right now, it appears that the funding that we were able to bring in is going to serve about 16,000 locations in our Commonwealth. And this means Massachusetts families, Massachusetts kids who will have access and it matters. So, let me do a personal favorite, and that is federal research.

Chancellor Chen, do you know, offhand, roughly about how much federal research funding UMass Lowell receives right now to support all of your groundbreaking scientific advances?

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You know, such an important point. It's the leverage point. I was thinking about when we were talking about Logan. It's not that all the dollars came from the federal government, but if the federal government is not there to play, nobody else comes to play. And it's having all of it that then creates the jobs, creates enough to support the research, creates enough that we can get the school buses across whatever it is we need to do.

I want to talk about one piece of the funding that expanded as a result of the CHIPS and Science Act. So the CHIPS law allocated 1.6 billion to stand up regional hubs supporting the production of semiconductors and other micro technologies. And last month, we talked about this some, Massachusetts was awarded $19.7 million in funding to establish one of those regional hubs here. It's going to help Massachusetts lead the way with innovation in this cutting edge sector, and some of this work is going to take place right here at UMass Lowell. So here's my question for you, Chancellor Chen. How is the micro electronics work, being done here at UMass Lowell, going to help grow our economy and strengthen our national security?

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That's terrific.

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So, I just want to say thank you again. We've talked today -- long day -- about infrastructure, about what it means for jobs in the economy, and our communities and resilience.

But, this has also been a day about partnership.

I have the best partner in the United States Senate. We are more than twice as strong. I do the Power Rangers thing. Right.

We also have a great partner in our governor and lieutenant governor who are all hands-on-deck and ready to go. And in our mayor's who want to be part of this, but it's also about partnership with the people who've shown up as our witnesses.

I am very grateful to you for being here, for talking about these issues that are so important to all of us.

We have a real opportunity here. And we can't -- Let me put it this way: We will do so much better if we keep strengthening these partnerships as we go forward.

So, thank you again, to UMass Lowell, for hosting us. It's been terrific. And thank you to our witnesses.

Questions for the record are due one week from today on Friday, October 27. For our witnesses, you have 45 days to respond to any questions. Thank you, again."

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