U.S. Congresswoman Cindy Axne

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed an over $1.5 trillion infrastructure package which includes two bills Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D) helped introduce.

The Moving Forward Act includes over $300 billion to repair the nation’s roads and bridges, $100 billion in school infrastructure, nearly $50 billion in dedicated funding to local communities to strengthen local input and decision-making for federal funds, and $30 billion to upgrade hospitals to increase capacity and strengthen care in response to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies. Representative Axne shares that the legislation includes the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, “The $100 billion investment in rural broadband that I helped craft with my colleagues in the Rural Broadband Taskforce is included in this bill. And I think that many Iowans can really see the inequity of not being connected in a time like this. It’s damaging for our businesses, certainly for kids’ education and our schools, for the ability to access telehealth. And so improving and giving everybody internet connectivity across this country and into our rural areas is incredibly important.”

The legislation was also amended to include Axne’s Manufactured Housing Community (MHC) Preservation Act, which will help keep manufactured and mobile home communities affordable for their residents by providing assistance for the acquisition and preservation of MHC’s. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates this legislative package will give at least $3.5 billion to Iowa over the next five years just in road and highway support, with more funding likely to expand access to childcare, affordable housing, and clean drinking water.