Well, here's the response I got from Senator Tammy Duckworth majority member of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation.. It's a long one that I haven't begun to parse
Thank you for contacting me about our Nation’s transportation and infrastructure policies. I appreciate you taking the time to make me aware of your concerns as the Senate prepares for the 118th Congress, which begins on January 3, 2023.
One of my top priorities this Congress was to advance bipartisan policies that make wise investments in projects that put Americans back to work upgrading our infrastructure throughout Illinois and across the country. That is why I was proud to join a coalition of 68 Republican and Democratic Senators in voting to pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which will invest approximately $11.3 billion in critical Illinois infrastructure over five years to improve and repair highways, rail, public transit and bridges; address climate change and enhance resilience; expand broadband availability and affordability; and improve safety across all modes of transportation. As of July 2022, $5.2 billion in IIJA funding had been announced and was headed for Illinois to invest in roads, bridges, public transit, ports and airports, with over $288 million for clean water. Together, this funding will promote economic growth, create and support high-quality jobs and prepare Illinois to meet new, emerging challenges. For more information about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and funding opportunities please visit build.gov.
As your Senator, I was sent to Washington to get results, and I worked hard in the 117th Congress to deliver for my constituents and Americans all across this country. That is why I advocated fiercely for the IIJA to include provisions based on my All Stations Accessibility Program Act. These provisions will support legacy transit and commuter rail authorities in upgrading existing stations to meet or exceed accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act through a competitive grant program, ensuring that Americans with disabilities, like myself, can access rail transit, and in turn, additional independence and opportunities for employment.
I was also proud that my bipartisan Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act was included in the IIJA, which will strengthen our most effective tools to help State and local entities fund critical water infrastructure projects: the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). IIJA includes supplemental appropriations covering five years that total more than $40 billion for DWWIA, which will be distributed to communities through the DWSRF and the CWSRF for lead service line replacement and the cleanup of emerging water contaminants. Please be assured that I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put Illinoisans to work upgrading our country's roads, railways, airports and waterways.
Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. If you would like more information on my work in the Senate, please visit my website at www.duckworth.senate.gov. If you are seeking my office’s assistance with a Federal agency, please visit my website at www.duckworth.senate.gov/help/help-with-a-federal-agency. You can access my voting record and see what I am doing to address today’s most important issues. I hope that you will continue to share your views and opinions with me and let me know whenever I may be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Tammy Duckworth
United States Senator
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