Rockingham Times

November 15, 2021

Dear Friend,  

I’m thrilled to reach out to you on this historic day. This afternoon, President Biden signed into law the most significant investment in New Hampshire’s infrastructure in the history of our state. As one of ten Senators who led bipartisan negotiations around this once-in-a-generation bill, I made sure New Hampshire priorities were secured.  

This bill will be a game changer for working families, providing $550 billion to improve our roads and bridges, rail, transit, ports, airports, electric grid, water systems, broadband and more throughout the country. These infrastructure projects will create good-paying jobs, stimulate local economies and prepare our workforce for the 21st century economy -- all with an eye towards sustainability to combat the climate crisis.

Specifically, here’s what the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act means for New Hampshire’s families: 

• At least $1.1 billion to update our roads and $225 million to repair bridges across the state. New Hampshire has over 698 miles of roadway and 215 bridges in poor condition – this funding will make sure drivers can rely on safe infrastructure to get to work, go grocery shopping, pick up kids from daycare and more. The bill also includes my legislation with Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey to help states increase resources for highway and transit projects. 
• At least $100 million to expand broadband coverage to at least 42,800 people across New Hampshire. I led negotiations on broadband provisions with Senator Susan Collins of Maine to bridge the digital divide. The pandemic showed us how important the internet is for our students to learn, businesses to telework, doctors to administer health care and more – this funding can’t come soon enough to New Hampshire.  
• At least $418 million to expand access to clean drinking water and improve water infrastructure. I led negotiations on water infrastructure with Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, and I secured $10 billion to boost our national response to PFAS contamination. The legislation also delivers on my bipartisan bill to reverse a 2017 measure that made water infrastructure projects more expensive and discouraged utilities and local governments from making these critical investments. Clean, safe drinking water should be guaranteed to every household across America – this bill pushes us closer to that reality. 
• At least $5.6 million to protect our communities from wildfires and $12.4 million to protect us from cyberattacks. This funding will strengthen our infrastructure’s resilience against the impacts of climate change, cyberattacks and extreme weather – all of which are becoming more frequent and dangerous threats to our security. 
• At least $125 million to improve public transportation across the state. 
• At least $45.7 million to support updates to New Hampshire’s airports.  
• At least $17 million to expand charging stations for electric vehicles in our state. This is part of a national plan to create a network of EV chargers – supporting manufacturing jobs here at home and making vehicles more green. 
• Key action to combat the climate crisis – including through inclusion of my bipartisan energy efficiency bills with Senator Portman. I’ve spent years working to pass the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness (ESIC) Act, and now its major provisions are law. These bills will improve energy efficiency and climate resilience of buildings and industrial facilities, as well as invest in clean jobs. 

The provisions I helped negotiate and supported in this legislation will be felt in New Hampshire for decades to come.

I’m proud that our late night, early morning bipartisan talks resulted in this moment: a bipartisan group of lawmakers standing together with the administration, showing the American people what is possible when we leave politics at the door and get things done. I look forward to making sure these investments are delivered to the communities who need it most.

Today is a very good day for New Hampshire’s working families.  

P.S. As a reminder: Need Help? Contact My Office

One of my most important responsibilities as a U.S. Senator is assisting New Hampshire residents who need help navigating federal agencies. I’ve worked with my staff to help Granite Staters avoid foreclosure, secure military commendations, deliver delayed Social Security and Medicare assistance and access VA benefits, among other services. If you have an issue with a federal agency, you can open a case here. If it is time-sensitive, you can call my Manchester office at (603) 647-7500. 

Sincerely, 

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