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Friends, 

Earlier this week, I went to the White House to witness our bipartisan infrastructure bill get signed into law!

This landmark legislation will create hundreds of thousands of new, good-paying jobs and bring more than $5 billion in investments back to Iowa for our roads, bridges, water systems, internet connectivity and more. 

This bipartisan, commonsense legislation will help Iowa's farmers get their grain to market more efficiently by fixing the roads and bridges that tractors and semis rely on. It will help businesses expand as broadband infrastructure is made more available, reliable, and affordable. It will help replace unsafe lead pipes so Iowans have clean water to drink. And it will do so much more, all while not raising taxes on you or any other middle class Iowan. 

Keep reading to learn about how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help Iowa:

As a member of the Rural Broadband Task Force, I have been working to close the remaining gaps in our internet infrastructure since I was sworn into Congress.

I hear from folks far too often who need a good, reliable broadband connection at home so their children can do their homework and at their businesses so they can discover new market opportunities. I have heard from health care providers who need broadband connections because they have relied on telehealth services to keep Iowans safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The legislation that I supported and is now signed into law includes a $65 billion investment in rural broadband — the largest-ever federal investment in expanding this kind of connectivity — which will be allocated based on where unserved areas exist across the U.S.

Since Iowa ranks 45th in the country for connectivity, Iowa's unserved and underserved communities should expect to see far more than the minimum $100 million allocated to help us connect every last home, business, and community.

Iowa is expected to receive more than $432 million from this legislation to repair and revitalize our bridges — part of the largest dedicated investment in bridges this country has seen since we constructed our interstate highway system in the 1950s.

Nearly 1 in every 5 bridges in Iowa is classified as structurally deficient, and this will help Iowa deal with more than 4,500 bridges in need of repair.

Iowa will also receive $3.4 billion to to address the 403 miles of highway that are in poor condition. These projects have been ignored for far too long in Iowa, making conditions dangerous and expensive for drivers. On average, each driver in Iowa pays $336 a year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. 

This legislation will provide the state with $638 million to upgrade water lines and finally get rid of the remaining lead pipes in Iowa. The majority of children in Iowa have unsafe levels of lead in their blood, and this investment will help ensure children have safe drinking water at home and at school.

As supply chain issues continue to affect Iowa families and businesses, the legislation we got signed into law this week will make important improvements to how we get products and people around Iowa.

Not only are we investing billions to modernize our ports and rail systems to ensure goods can get into our country, we're also investing directly in Iowa's supply chains by funding $120 million worth of modernization at our airports. 

We're also putting $300 million towards upgrading public transit systems across all of Iowa's 99 counties — many of whom are using vehicles and facilities long past their lifespan.

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These investments are sorely needed, and will help keep Iowans safe, connected and competing in the global economy. And, on top of these great investments in infrastructure, this legislation is projected to create nearly three quarters of a million new, good-paying jobs by 2025.

I can't wait to see these projects get started in Iowa!

Be well, 

Cindy