From the White House: How Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan Helps Wisconsin

Madison Wis. — Last week, the White House released a new fact sheet outlining the many ways that President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will benefit Wisconsin. By providing new federal funding to support Gov. Evers’ historic investments in the state’s infrastructure, this bipartisan plan will create good-paying jobs, address climate change, and benefit every single neighborhood in Wisconsin. 

Here’s how: 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. The plan would:

• Repair and rebuild roads with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians
• Devote over $312 billion to transform transportation infrastructure and make it more resilient, including $110 billion for roads, bridges, and major projects

 The plan is the largest federal investment in public transit in history and is the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. It would modernize public transit with a $48.5 billion investment and invest $66 billion in passenger and freight rail. In Wisconsin:

• Residents who take public transportation spend an extra 62.7% of their time commuting
• Non-white households are 5.9 times more likely to commute by public transportation

The Framework is the largest investment in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history. In the last decade, there were 16 extreme weather events in Wisconsin, costing the state up to $10 billion in damages. The plan would:

• Prepare the state’s infrastructure for the impacts of climate change, cyber-attacks, and extreme weather events
• Invest $47 billion to improve the resiliency of our infrastructure and support communities’ recovery from disaster

Over the next 20 years, Wisconsin’s drinking water infrastructure will require $8.6 billion in additional funding. With new federal funding, the plan would provide new resources for Gov. Evers’ efforts to completely eliminate Wisconsin’s lead service lines and pipes. Across the country, it would:

• Deliver clean drinking water to up to 10 million American families and more than 400,000 schools and child care facilities that currently don’t have it
• Invest $55 billion to ensure clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities

The Framework will invest $65 billion to bring universal, reliable, high-speed, and affordable broadband coverage to every family in America. The plan would build on Gov. Evers’ record investments in broadband, and connect every American to reliable high-speed internet. The plan would:

• Expand broadband access to more than 13.9% of Wisconsin residents who live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure

In Wisconsin, an average low-income family spends 6-8% of their income on home energy costs. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will represent the single largest investment in clean energy transmission in American history, helping to further upgrade the power system across Wisconsin.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.