Earlier last week, President Joe Biden announced his Infrastructure Plan to the American people. This $2 trillion proposal addresses a wide array of issues, ranging from retrofitting and rebuilding roads and bridges to funding renewable energy production and providing job training and development. Naturally, this plan is already receiving plenty of resistance from those on the right. Yet Republicans are not alone in criticizing the legislation. Progressive members of Congress are airing their grievances in turn. While $2 trillion sounds like a huge price tag and this is an infrastructure bill, it provides funding aimed at combating climate change. The plan includes:
• $174 billion to transition the federal fleet to electric vehicles
• 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations.
• A $100 billion investment in the electrical grid.
• $300 billion in broadband internet and drinking water infrastructure. (It should be noted that as of Dec. 25, 2020, only half of the contaminated water pipes in Flint, Michigan, have been replaced.)
• $10 billion to create the Civilian Climate Corps — a much smaller version of the Civilian Conservation Corps created by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The infrastructure package also will address repairs and retrofits to 20,000 miles of roads and thousands of bridges. Additionally, the Biden administration pledges that the United States will achieve carbon-free power production by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050. To view the full article visit the Herald Bulletin.