[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 144 (Monday, August 9, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6106-S6107]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           MORNING BUSINESS-

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                         INVEST IN AMERICA ACT

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, once again, the Senate has proven that 
infrastructure is--as it always has been--

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a bipartisan issue. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act offers a 
once-in-a-generation vision for America's infrastructure that is long 
overdue. This bipartisan infrastructure package makes the largest 
Federal investment in public transit, passenger rail, and bridges in 
more than 50 years.
  Gone are the days when ``infrastructure'' has meant only bridges, 
highways, roads, and rail. While we need to invest in all of those 
areas, States like Vermont have infrastructure needs that also include 
climate resiliency, broadband, and renewable energy. That is exactly 
what this sweeping infrastructure package does.
  The need for action in Vermont is clear. It is no secret that 
Vermont's infrastructure is aging. For decades, infrastructure in 
Vermont has suffered from a systemic lack of investment. Vermont has 
more than 2,700 bridges, 570 miles of freight railroad, 14,000 miles of 
public road, and an overall C grade from the American Society of Civil 
Engineers--ASCE--for the condition of these facilities. There are 66 
bridges and over 666 miles of highway in the State that are in poor 
condition and need of repair. When it comes to stormwater and 
wastewater infrastructure, Vermont's report card is even more dismal, 
receiving a D+ grade from ASCE, an unacceptable reality as our 
communities continue to see the impacts of climate change and extreme 
weather. With the passage of this indispensable infrastructure package, 
that will all change. The State of Vermont is expected to receive over 
$1.5 billion in formulaic funds to repair highways and bridges and also 
install a network of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the 
State.
  This desperately needed infrastructure package will help repair 
Vermont's roads and bridges, while also creating good-paying jobs. It 
provides significant investments and makes key programmatic changes to 
competitive discretionary infrastructure programs to make more these 
Federal revenue streams more accessible to small, rural States like 
Vermont.
  The bill tackles the challenge of bringing broadband to the 19 
million Americans, including 60,000 Vermont homes, in rural areas and 
other parts of the country that still lack access to quality, high-
speed internet service. Not only will the Infrastructure Investment and 
Jobs Act buildout broadband in unserved areas, it permanently 
establishes the Emergency Broadband Benefit program created through the 
passage of the American Rescue Plan Act renaming it the Affordable 
Connectivity Benefit program. This program will provide a $30 per month 
voucher for low-income families to use toward any internet service plan 
of their choosing. It builds on the EBB program by expanding 
eligibility to help more low-income households, while also making it 
more sustainable for taxpayers.
  Importantly, this package will also make significant down payments on 
climate resiliency initiatives to make Vermont more prepared to tackle 
the climate crisis, which has for too long been overlooked. Later this 
month will be the 10-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene. The 
devastation that occurred as the storm swept through our State showed 
that we must build back better to make our communities and critical 
infrastructure more resilient to extreme climate events like Tropical 
Storm Irene. And anyone who doubts the obvious link between our 
infrastructure needs and the climate crisis need only look at what 
happened to Texas's energy grid during the winter, or the devastating 
heat wave and drought taking place across the West this summer, where 
record temperatures have literally melted power lines and buckled 
roads.
  The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes climate 
mitigation, adaptation, and resilience programs that are both pragmatic 
and forward-thinking. It includes record amounts of funding for 
weatherization assistance to reduce energy costs for low-income 
households, makes the largest investment in clean energy transmission 
and electric vehicle infrastructure in history, funds the 
electrification of thousands of school and transit buses across the 
country, and establishes new programs to overhaul our energy grid and 
rapidly accelerate development and deployment of battery storage 
technology.
  The bill amounts to the single largest investment in clean drinking 
water in American history, including dedicated funding to replace lead 
service lines and address the PFAS contamination in our communities, 
and provides an additional $40 million for water quality projects in 
the Lake Champlain Basin. Taken together, the Infrastructure Investment 
and Jobs Act will leave every community in Vermont better prepared to 
face the challenges of the 21st century and help restore American 
leadership in the fight against climate change.
  This significant legislative and stimulus package shows what can be 
done when we all work together in the Senate. This hasn't been easy, 
but it is important to Vermont and to our country, and thanks to these 
efforts, we will be able to repair roads and bridges, build electric 
charging stations, and build out broadband throughout the country. I 
hope that the Senate will pass this legislation today, and that the 
House of Representatives will soon consider this legislation, so 
President Biden can sign this historic infrastructure investment into 
law.
  Mr. BROWN. -Madam President, I am pleased to see language in the 
State broadband grant program prioritizing employers with ``a 
demonstrated record of and plans to be in compliance with Federal labor 
and employment laws.'' It is unfortunately common for employers to 
violate our Nation's labor laws, from the National Labor Relations Act 
to the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
  The broadband industry, sadly, is no exception.
  In many industries, employers are engaging in rampant subcontracting 
and outsourcing.
  This situation is generally known as a ``fissured workplace,'' a 
circumstance where a primary employer outsources noncore business 
functions to subcontracted firms but still maintains tight control over 
the outcomes of those subcontractors.
  These arrangements impede enforcement of our Nation's labor laws.
  At times, employers engage in these practices strategically to evade 
accountability for labor law violations.
  I have worked with several Senators on this problem in the past, 
across the ideological spectrum and including with members who helped 
craft the bipartisan infrastructure package.
  It is my understanding that the language in the State broadband grant 
program was written chiefly to ensure that American taxpayer dollars 
prioritize projects with both past records of strict compliance with 
Federal labor and employment laws and plans to continue compliance with 
future projects.
  American taxpayer dollars should create good-paying American jobs.
  With its strong Buy America provisions, the bipartisan infrastructure 
package works to do that.
  We need to ensure that Federal dollars support good jobs and high 
standards and limits the use of subcontractors.
  There are many examples of ``high road'' employers who go above and 
beyond the minimum standards we set with our labor laws.
  That is the way it should be.
  I expect to see this funding prioritize such ``high road'' employers 
who use direct employees for projects.

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