What They Are Reading in the States: President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Build Back Better Act Will Change Lives

On Monday, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act. Throughout the week, the President, Vice President, and Cabinet traveled across the country to talk about how this historic legislation delivers for the American people.

From the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law modernizing roads and bridges, expanding access to clean drinking water, and delivering high-speed internet, to the Build Back Better Act, which will lower costs, cut taxes, create jobs, and make the wealthy pay their fair share, the President's agenda represents a once-in-a-generation investment that will ensure America can compete in the 21st century.

As the Biden-Harris administration hit the road this week – and in the weeks to come – officials continue highlighting the real impact and results that these investments will have for working families across the country.

Here's what Americans are reading in the states:

President Biden in Woodstock, New Hampshire

WMUR (ABC Manchester, New Hampshire): President Biden in Woodstock calls bill most significant infrastructure investment in 70 years
[Adam Sexton and Kirk Enstrom, 11/16/21]

"Speaking in front of an 82-year-old bridge in Woodstock that is sorely in need of repair, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill he signed into law will help fix it and the 214 other red-listed bridges in New Hampshire. New Hampshire was Biden's first stop after signing the bill Monday. Amid light snow flurries, he spoke at the Route 175 bridge over the Pemigewasset River, which is a key route for emergency vehicles … 'Thanks to the infrastructure law, we're going to make the most significant investment to modernize our roads and our bridges in 70 years. The law is going to speed up replacement of bridges by at least a year and allow New Hampshire to invest in other critical infrastructure needs,' Biden said."

President Biden in Detroit, Michigan

MLIVE: In Detroit, Biden says Build Back Better bill won't add to inflation, is 'fully paid for' by taxing corporations
[Malachi Barrett, 11/17/21]

"President Joe Biden argued America will lose a global race for economic dominance without large investments in its workforce, pitching his Build Back Better proposal as key to the country's future. The president promoted the impact of his domestic policy agenda Wednesday while visiting General Motors' Factory ZERO, the company's first all-electric vehicle assembly plant. Biden toured the facility and got behind the wheel of a new electric Hummer while taking a symbolic victory lap for the passage of bipartisan infrastructure legislation this week."

Michigan Advance: Biden toasts new infrastructure law at GM electric vehicle plant opening in Detroit
[Julia Forrest, 11/17/21]

"President Joe Biden traveled to Detroit Wednesday to tout the new $1.2 trillion infrastructure package he signed into law on Monday while helping to celebrate the opening of General Motors new electric vehicle assembly plant … 'Folks, when you see these projects starting in your home towns, I want you to feel the way I feel," Biden said. "Pride in what we can do when we are together as the United States of America and it starts here in Detroit. In the auto industry, Detroit's leading the world in electric vehicles.' Biden said his plans will accelerate production of electric vehicles, saying 'we're going to make sure that the jobs of the future end up here in Michigan, not halfway around the world.'"

Detroit Free Press: Op-ed: With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, America is Back in the Competition
[Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic Council, and Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, 11/17/21]

"This law is the most significant step in more than a generation to bolster America's global economic competitiveness. It is an unambiguous signal to the world that the United States is ready win the competition for the 21st century economy … We are not behind because of happenstance. It is the result of decades of decision-making that has prioritized short-term efficiencies over long-term resilience, security, and sustainability. But, with the Infrastructure Law, the United States will begin to pivot. While China may currently outspend the U.S. on infrastructure as a share of GDP by threefold, the growth rate of U.S. infrastructure spending is poised to overtake China, with the passage of this law."

Vice President Harris in Columbus, Ohio

The Columbus Dispatch: Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Columbus today to talk infrastructure
[Haley BeMiller, 11/19/21]

"Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Columbus today as White House officials take a victory lap over the passage of a $1.2 trillion bill to improve roads, bridges and broadband. … Under the new law, Ohio is projected to receive $9.2 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $483 million to repair and replace bridges over a five-year period. It will get an estimated $100 million to expand broadband access, $253 million for airports, $1.2 billion for public transportation and $1.4 billion dedicated to water infrastructure projects."

EPA Administrator in Jackson, Mississippi, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas

Mississippi Free Press: EPA Chief Visits Jackson to Address Water Crisis, Discuss Help in Biden Infrastructure Deal
[Nick Judin and Ashton Pittman, 11/15/21]

"Michael S. Regan, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is touring Jackson today and addressing topics on the environment with an emphasis on the city's longstanding water infrastructure woes … The EPA said in a press release this morning that the administrator will also 'discuss the benefits of President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and the Build Back Better agenda, and the Administration's commitment to delivering environmental justice.' Both houses of Congress have passed Biden's $1.2-trillion infrastructure bill, and the president plans to sign it later this week; his more ambitious 'Build Back Better' agenda is still under negotiation."

The Advocate: 'Startling': EPA head pledges action for vanishing Black community of Mossville
[Mike Smith, 11/18/21]

"The nation's top environmental official visited this vanishing Black community Thursday and pledged to dig deeper into the 'startling' impact of surrounding petrochemical plants and the alleged injustice residents say they've faced. Michael Regan, the first Black man to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, visited the community outside Lake Charles, which was founded by freed slaves in the 1790s, as part of a wider tour intended to shine a light on environmental justice issues. He also held discussions with residents and activists, and said he intended to speak with the companies located in the area and state officials."

Texas Tribune: Top U.S. Environmental Regulator to Visit Houston Neighborhoods Where Black and Latino Residents Bear Brunt of Pollution
[Erin Douglas, 11/16/21]

"Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan will visit Houston on Friday as part of a weeklong tour of neighborhoods across the South where pollution has impacted people's health — predominantly for Black and Latino residents … The tour is centered on environmental justice — the idea that a central aim of protecting the environment is to prioritize and protect human health, not simply preserve wild areas for aesthetic reasons."

The Times-Picayune: EPA chief travels south Louisiana to learn more about pollution, environmental justice
[Halle Parker, 11/16/21]

"Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan kicked off his visit Tuesday in New Orleans East, listening to concerns raised by more than a dozen researchers, environment advocates, lawyers and business leaders, among others. A day earlier, President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that includes about $240 billion for environmental justice projects. Since taking office, Regan said, he has asked his staff to detail how the agency can incorporate environmental justice and equity into all of its functions, making it 'part of the DNA.'"

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in Phoenix, Arizona

KPNX (NBC Phoenix): Buttigieg visiting Phoenix to promote new infrastructure law. Here are 3 things to know about its potential impact on Arizona
[Brahm Resnik, 11/16/21]

"U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will promote the new $1 trillion infrastructure act during a trip to Phoenix Friday. Buttigieg will appear at an event announcing full federal funding for Valley Metro's northwest extension for light rail to at the old Metrocenter Mall. As transportation secretary, Buttigieg will oversee billions of dollars in new spending on planes, trains and automobiles - for airports, mass transit and highways. But the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make its biggest initial impact in Arizona with urgently needed cash, not concrete."

Arizona Republic: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to visit Phoenix light rail site, Sky Harbor airport Friday
[Jen Fifield, 11/19/21]

"Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and the future location of the northwest Phoenix light rail line are on the agenda Friday as U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visits Arizona to promote the signing of the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, negotiated in large by U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and signed into law by President Joe Biden earlier this week, will infuse funding into public works projects nationally. Arizona will be eligible for billions, for highways, roads, bridges, public transit, airports, broadband internet, wildfire protection and cybersecurity."

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in Burlington, Vermont

WCAX (CBS Burlington, Vermont): US secretary of education visits Burlington schools
[11/19/21]

"'This is what it's about, this is what it's about -- protecting families, having them smile and being safe and going back to school,' Cardona said at his stop at Champlain Elementary School. As COVID cases continue to rise, so has the push to get kids vaccinated. 'This is a model of what it should look like across the country. They're getting it right, they're communicating well, and as a result, they're going to be safe,' Cardona said."

VT Digger: Biden's education secretary offers praise for Burlington schools
[Shaun Robinson, 11/19/21]

"The secretary gave chocolate coins from the U.S. Department of Education to several children who had just been vaccinated. He said it was great to see volunteers and first responders from around the community at the clinic, helping kids get their shots. 'We're thankful that, as schools reopen, we reclaim that role of being the hub of communities where our students feel safe, our parents feel safe,' Cardona said."

Secretary of the Interior Haaland on Tribal Summit & Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Tribal Investments

KOIN6 (CBS Portland, Oregon): Infrastructure deal invests $466M in tribal communities
[Joelle Jones, 11/17/21]

"According to Haaland, the Biden Administration has appointed over 50 Native Americans to serve in political positions. She says their commitment to including tribal voices in these matters will be crucial for the success of the nation's climate goals. 'Tribes need to be at the decision making table,' said Haaland. 'So we are going to rely on them to tell us the best way to move forward. Tribal indigenous knowledge with respect to the environment is going to play a very large role in how we move forward with climate change.'"

Public Radio Tulsa: U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks with KWGS about the Biden administration's commitments to Indian Country
[Chris Polansky, 11/17/21]

"… it includes a $466 million investment for the Bureau of Indian Affairs; $250 million for construction, repair, improvement and maintenance of irrigation and power systems, safety of dams, water sanitation; $216 million for climate resilience, adaptation and community relocation planning — a lot of Tribes that live on the coast, for example, are in danger of sea level rise, and so in some of these areas they will need to pick up and move inland. So those are all issues we're going to address. There's an historic investment of $2.5 billion dollars to help the department fulfill settlements of Indian water rights claims. That is, that is incredibly important. So, um, the bipartisan infrastructure deal, um, it is, it is historic in the amount of investment that it makes in Indian Country. And we are excited about getting that Tribal consultation on how, um, we are going to ensure that we get this out and, and get it to working for those families there."