Dear John,
As we approach Independence Day, I'm thinking about the improbable experiment our founders started all those years ago. Generation after generation of Americans have helped write the story of our nation, including the Greatest Generation, who built the infrastructure that we still rely on today. They dreamed big: building systems that connected our cities and towns and supported booming economic growth.
But since then, we've disinvested in our infrastructure, neglecting the necessary upkeep that would keep us competitive on the world stage.
One of my top priorities as a member of the House Appropriations Committee is to bring back funding to NEPA so we can reverse this trend. This money supports our economic recovery, creating good-paying jobs and ensuring every family has safe drinking water.
This week, one of our Appropriations subcommittees included my request for $3.5 million for stormwater infrastructure improvements in a key funding bill. The bill also includes other NEPA priorities I fought for, like a major funding increase for abandoned mine land reclamation and the Chesapeake Bay Program -- both of which help keep our environment clean and safe while growing our economy.
Funding these projects will go long way to not only protecting our community but bringing economic opportunities to our area. Inclusion of our project is a promising step toward passing the bill and bringing that funding home where we can put it to work.
