Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today joined her House colleagues to pass H.R. 2, a more than $1.5 trillion proposal to transform and reinvest in the whole of American infrastructure. The Moving Forward Act passed the House 233-188.

“As our nation grapples with the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, we know that our path forward requires investments in 21^st century infrastructure. Right now, more than 300 bridges in Maine are structurally deficient, and we are ranked as one of the worst states in the nation for high-speed broadband connectivity,” said Pingree. “H.R. 2 is a blueprint for a green, 21^st century economy—one that will create millions of jobs while also making sure the infrastructure of this country is safe and up to date. The Moving Forward Act would invest $100 billion to modernize broadband across the country—integral as working from home and distance learning continue to be an important part of Americans’ everyday life—while also fixing the roads, bridges, and transit that carry workers to their jobs every day. Every community across our nation will benefit from improved infrastructure and increased connectivity, not to mention good jobs in the wake of this recession.”

The Moving Forward Act makes a transformational investment in American infrastructure that will create millions of jobs, take bold action on the climate crisis, and address disparities in urban, suburban, and rural communities across our country. H.R. 2 rebuilds U.S. communities with infrastructure and innovation that is smarter, safer, and made to last. Among the many initiatives, the Moving Forward Act:

• Invests $300 billion in roads and bridges, prioritizing fixing already existing infrastructure, particularly the tens of thousands structurally deficient bridges across the country 
• Invests $100 billion to provide more reliable transit, add new routes, and put more zero-emission buses on the road.
• Triples investment in Amtrak to $29 billion over five years.
• Requires the DOT to track states’ greenhouse gas emissions and incentivizes states to lower their emissions 
• Establishes grant programs to help states create pre-disaster and carbon mitigation programs 

• Extends and expands existing tax credits for renewable energy, including wind and solar and provides new tax credits for investments in energy storage, biogas, and waste energy recovery
• Provides incentives to individuals to make renewable energy investments and make energy efficiency improvements to their homes, including expansions for home energy audits, battery storage, and biomass fuel property
• Invests $130 billion to help rebuild schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff, including funding to aid in a safe reopening in line with CDC public health guidelines.
• Provides $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service, including funding to electrify postal vehicles

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