U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congressman Andrew Levin (D-Mich.), along with Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), this week unveiled the BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
Modeled after the U.S. Department of Transportation's BUILD grant program, BUILD GREEN would invest $500 billion over 10 years in state, local, and tribal projects to jumpstart the transition to all electric public vehicles and rail and help modernize the nation's crumbling infrastructure, according to Senator Warren's office.
"The climate crisis is an existential threat to our planet, but it's also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, create a million good new jobs, and unleash the best of American innovation," Senator Warren said in a statement. "The BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act will make the big federal investments necessary to transform our country's transportation system, confront the racial and economic inequality embedded in our fossil fuel economy, and achieve the ambitious targets for 100% clean energy in America."
According to Senator Warren's office, the BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act would jumpstart the transition to all electric public transportation, expand clean mass transit to underserved communities, and help modernize infrastructure by covering up to 85% of costs for eligible state, local, and tribal projects, with an option for the Secretary of Transportation to cover 100% of costs. Lawmakers say it will also reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 21.5 million metric tons of CO2 annually and will create up to 1 million new jobs with strong labor protections.
"Greening America's public transportation infrastructure is a vital component of tackling the climate crisis. These investments will create American jobs, raise American wages, and most importantly, save American lives—both today through improved health and lower air pollution, as well as tomorrow by reducing the odds of climate-change driven catastrophes," a Data for Progress analysis of the bill reads.
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SOURCE: Office of Senator Elizabeth Warren
