On June 18, 2020, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act (H.R. 2). The Committee’s June18, 2020, press release states that the INVEST in America Act marks a significant departure from previous surface transportation reauthorization bills by addressing the maintenance needs and building smarter, safer infrastructure while putting the United States on a path toward zero emissions from the transportation sector. When the INVEST in America Act moved to the House floor, House Democrats combined the INVEST in America Act with a number of other clean energy, infrastructure, and education funding proposals to create the Moving Forward Act. The June 22, 2020, press release issued by the Committee states that the Moving Forward Act “marks 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.” On July 1, 2020, the House passed the bill by a vote of 233-188. According to a July 1, 2020, press release issued by Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the bill “will help us rebuild our economy and combat climate change with a more than $126 billion investment in clean energy, energy efficiency and deep decarbonization,” including $20 billion for a clean energy and sustainability fund and a major investment in clean transportation and the development of an electric vehicle charging network. The bill also provides more than $47 billion for drinking water programs and infrastructure to remove pollutants like PFAS and lead from water. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a Statement of Administration Policy on June 29, 2020, stating that the Trump Administration opposes passage of the bill because it “is heavily biased against rural America,” “appears to be entirely debt-financed,” and “fails to tackle the issue of unnecessary permitting delays, which are one of the most significant impediments to improving our infrastructure.”
