WASHINGTON, DC -- Late in the evening on Friday, November 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by a vote of 228 to 206.
In addition to the traditional surface transportation reauthorization, this bipartisan package includes nearly $550 billion in new funding for infrastructure over the next five years. More than $65 billion was allocated to build out broadband infrastructure and internet affordability, $110 billion for improvements to U.S. roads and bridges, almost $17 billion for ports and waterways, and $8 billion to address critical water supply needs. The bill also includes an apprenticeship pilot program to look at solutions for the nationwide truck driver shortage.
“USA Rice applauds Congress for passing the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Ben Mosely, USA Rice vice president of government affairs. “This bill will be beneficial to agriculture for years to come by magnifying the competitiveness of the agriculture supply chain by funding infrastructure improvements to roads, bridges, and inland waterways as well as building out rural broadband capacity.”
The bill was passed by the Senate in August (see
USA Rice Daily, August 11, 2021) and now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it in the coming days.