Rep. Payne Of NJ Cheers As House Passes $715B Transportation Plan

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey offered a big thumbs-up Thursday after a $715 billion federal transportation spending plan passed a House vote.

According to Payne, who represents the state’s 10th Congressional District, the five-year plan – dubbed the “Invest in America Act” – would repair and rebuild roads, bridges and rail networks across the country.

The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 221 to 201, mostly along party lines.

Payne serves as the chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

“This bill will pave roads and repair bridges to improve commutes and trips for millions of working Americans in New Jersey and nationwide,” the congressman said, adding that the funds would create “millions of good-paying jobs” and help America become more competitive worldwide.

Payne said the bill also includes an amendment he authored, which would provide funds to remove lead from drinking water on schools and low-income communities that have suffered from lead contamination.

“I am proud of the strong investments it makes in clean drinking water, but I wanted to make sure our lead removal efforts put a higher priority on schools and neighborhoods that have a history of lead contamination,” Payne said.

“We need to make sure that what happened to the drinking water in Newark and Flint, Michigan does not happen anywhere else,” he stated.

• See related article: Newark Turns The Page On Its Lead Water Crisis

WHERE THE MONEY WOULD GO

Overall, the bill provides several benefits to the nation’s infrastructure, Payne said. It would include:

• $343 billion to repave, repair and rebuild roads and bridges across the country, which includes $4 billion to create a national electric vehicle-charging infrastructure
• $95 billion for passenger and freight rail, including $32 billion for Amtrak to improve facilities such as the Gateway Program and increase routes
• $109 billion for general transit upgrades and improvements, including more investments into zero-emission public vehicles and rural networks
• $117 billion to purify drinking water and establish safer water infrastructure, including $45 billion to replace all lead-contaminated water pipes
• $51 billion to modernize the country’s wastewater management systems, including $2 billion to protect rivers and lakes from sewage overflows

The state's 10th Congressional District includes the following towns in Essex, Hudson and Union County: Bloomfield, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Maplewood, Montclair, Newark, Orange, South Orange, West Orange, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hillside, Linden, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, and Union Township.

• See related article: Buttigieg Pushes For Gateway Tunnel After Newark-To-NYC Trip

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