November 10, 2021

Rep. Watson Coleman Votes to Pass Infrastructure Bill and Advance Build Back Better Act

On Friday, under the leadership of President Biden, Congress delivered a long awaited “infrastructure week.” The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, is a once-in-a generation investment that will modernize our nation’s infrastructure while creating millions of good-paying union jobs.   

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will fund and jumpstart the manufacture of solar panels, wind farms, and electric vehicle charging stations to grow our clean energy supply chains and solidify the United States as a global leader in clean energy technology.  

Additionally, the act will put plumbers and pipefitters to work replacing lead pipes across the country to ensure safe drinking water. It will repair and modernize rails, roads, public transit and tunnels including funding the vitally important Gateway Tunnel project between New York and New Jersey linking the entire Northeast. New Jersey’s seaports and airports will also see the revitalization they need to continue to serve the region.  

Of utmost importance to New Jersey, the act will help build up our resilience to the damaging superstorms, flooding, and hurricanes that have impacted the state as we feel the effects of global climate change.   

As we continue to deliver on the critical needs for every American and working family, I am excited for the next opportunity with the “Build Back Better” agenda that extends more support to our struggling families, seniors, and children.  

My progressive colleagues and I have worked for months to ensure that despite zero support for BBB from Republicans, we’ve kept the bill moving forward while ensuring as many of the overwhelmingly popular and important priorities as possible were included. The agreement struck Friday night with Moderates to support this tremendous bill is a more tangible commitment than ever before and brings us that much closer to delivering for the American people.   

The Build Back Better Act will represent one of the greatest investments in American families and children in generations: 

  • providing affordable childcare and universal Pre-K 

  • extending the popular Child Tax Credit which has already begun to lift millions of American children out of poverty 

  • providing paid leave for new mothers to both allow them to recover and bond with their children in those critically important first weeks 

  • ensuring a healthy planet for generations to come by cutting pollution, reducing energy costs, creating good paying jobs 

  • allowing Medicare to negotiate to lower the prices on New Jerseyans’ medications and capping out of pocket costs while easing the financial burdens on homeowners   

All these provisions were included without adding to the debt that we leave our grandchildren by making sure the super-wealthy and corporations pay their fair share in taxes and ensure others have the opportunities they’ve enjoyed.  

Each of these provisions exists to ensure that as we climb out of the devastation of the covid pandemic we don’t return to the “normal” that had left so many behind but build back better to a fairer, more equitable country for all. I look forward to supporting this next measure.