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Shaheen-Negotiated Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Clears Congress, Heads to President’s Desk

**Shaheen was a Lead Negotiator of the Infrastructure Package, Steered Bipartisan Talks on Broadband & Water Infrastructure**

**Shaheen Celebrates NH Priorities Secured, Including $10 Billion to Address PFAS contamination, Shaheen Bill to Invest in Water Infrastructure and Robust Investments in Broadband**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) applauded the House of Representatives’ passage of the landmark, bipartisan infrastructure legislation that she helped steer key negotiations around. This package will provide a $550 billion investment in our nation’s core infrastructure priorities – including roads and bridges, rail, transit, ports, airports, the electric grid, water systems and broadband. The bill cleared the Senate in August and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

In June, Shaheen joined President Biden and a bipartisan group of senators to announce the framework of the package. Shaheen joined members of the bipartisan group on the Senate floor to unveil bill text of the legislation in August. Shaheen was a key negotiator and led provisions on broadband and water infrastructure, which she highlighted in remarks on the Senate floor.

“The historic nature of this bipartisan infrastructure deal cannot be overstated – this is the largest investment in public transit; the largest investment in drinking water and waste water infrastructure; the largest investment in clean energy and the largest investment in our bridges since the construction of the interstate highway system. It also makes meaningful advances to connect communities with high-speed internet and put every family and business on the grid. And that’s just a drop in the bucket. There is so much to celebrate in this bill, and I am thrilled to share this good news with New Hampshire families that these federal investments in our state will soon be the law of the land,” said Shaheen. “This landmark legislation is the product of months-long, around-the-clock negotiations between myself and fellow Democrats and Republicans. During negotiations, we didn’t always agree but we knew if we kept talking that we’d find common ground and get this over the finish line. I’m particularly proud of provisions I fought to secure that will provide robust investments to combat PFAS exposure in our water supplies and to bolster broadband services, which are key priorities in Granite State communities. I look forward to seeing the President make this official and sign it into law.”

Among the numerous priorities secured in the bipartisan infrastructure package passed by the Senate, Shaheen fought to include and supported adding the following measures:

  • $110 Billion to Repair Roads, Bridges and Other Major Projects: Shaheen successfully helped secure additional funding for small and rural states like New Hampshire to replace and repair bridges through new, dedicated grant programs.
  • $65 Billion to Bolster Broadband in New Hampshire and Across the Nation: Shaheen led negotiations on broadband provisions with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), which will provide $65 billion in grants for states to support broadband deployment and other efforts to bridge the digital divide, which is especially critical in rural parts of New Hampshire. The infrastructure package builds on the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program by investing $14.2 billion to continue assisting qualified households in accessing affordable high-speed internet.
  • $55 Billion to Upgrade Water Infrastructure, Including $10 Billion for PFAS Remediation and $15 Billion for Lead Service Line Replacement: Shaheen led negotiations on water infrastructure provisions with Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), which provide robust funding -- $10 billion – to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. Shaheen has long led action in the Senate on PFAS response, remediation and research.
  • $65 Billion to Invest in U.S. Power & Grid: Shaheen supported adding $65 billion to fund grid reliability and resilience measures in the legislation. The infrastructure legislation also includes the bipartisan Energy Infrastructure Act, which funds these priorities and supports a Grid Development Authority. The legislation bolsters efforts to address energy efficiency through weatherization assistance and improvements to federal and other public buildings. It also supports clean energy technology and other sustainable energy solutions.
  • Shaheen’s Legislation to Stop Tax on Crucial Water and Sewer Infrastructure: Senator Shaheen spearheaded efforts to include key provisions from her bipartisan bill with Senator Murkowski (R-AK) to fix a measure in the 2017 tax bill that led to taxes on critical water infrastructure investments in New Hampshire and across the nation, resulting in at least $1.15 million in new federal taxes for water infrastructure projects in New Hampshire. Shaheen’s bill fixes this issue going forward to help encourage water and wastewater utilities, local governments and private developers to invest in water infrastructure projects.
  • Shaheen’s Legislation to Help NH Finance Transportation Infrastructure Projects: Senator Shaheen successfully included her legislation with Senator Booker (D-NJ) that would establish a program to help states increase resources for highway and transit projects. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a marketplace for the sale and purchase of toll credits, which are accrued when states use toll revenues to invest in transportation projects that benefit the interstate system. This bill would allow states like New Hampshire to sell their excess toll credits to other states on this marketplace to bring in new revenue. These funds could be used for other transportation needs in these states. Shaheen secured this in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021, which cleared the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) in May. 
  • Support for a Clean Electric Grid: The bipartisan infrastructure bill also contains key components of Shaheen’s energy efficiency legislation with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) – the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness (ESIC) Act – that will help improve energy efficiency and climate resilience of buildings and industrial facilities, as well as invest in clean jobs. Policy experts at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that when fully enacted, the ESIC Act through 2050 would save consumers more than $51 billion on their energy bills and reduce carbon emissions by 1.3 billion tons, which is the equivalent of taking nearly 280 million cars off the road for one year.  A previous study from ACEEE also estimated that their legislation would add more than 100,000 jobs to the economy.  The legislation also includes several other legislative priorities of Shaheen, including the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act, the Heat Efficiency through Applied Technology (HEAT) Act and the Promoting American Energy Jobs Act. Together, these bills will promote innovation, energy efficiency and economic competitiveness of American manufacturers and support the energy workforce. Shaheen added these provisions when the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted to advance the Energy Infrastructure Act earlier this month. 

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