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WASHINGTON—Congressman Paul D. Tonko highlighted a significant collection of his top legislative priorities that are now officially incorporated into the House infrastructure package including limousine safety reforms, broadband access legislation, investments in clean energy, drinking water safety and upkeep, and more as part of the $1.5 trillion package. The bill, H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, invests in modern, sustainable infrastructure while creating millions of good-paying jobs, combatting the climate crisis and addressing vital needs and disparities in communities throughout the country.

“For too long, our nation has turned a blind eye and failed to meet the fundamental needs of the American people, whether that means delivering limousine safety reforms, broadband access, clean energy infrastructure and climate action, safe and resilient drinking water systems, or any of the other major repairs and upgrades that our economy and critical systems need,” Congressman Tonko said. “Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, we must act with even greater urgency to respond to these vulnerabilities and seize this opportunity to rebuild in ways that create good-paying American jobs, equip our nation with 21st century infrastructure, and set ourselves on a path to a strong recovery in the years to come. We can and we must rebuild an America that is cleaner, more resilient and more equitable for all. Our Moving Forward Act delivers historic, critically-needed investments for our Capital Region and beyond. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation and will continue fighting for these bold, innovative solutions that move our country forward.”

H.R. 2 contains many of Tonko’s key priorities, including:

1. Limo Safety

Tonko introduced his package of federal limousine safety reforms last year in his hometown of Amsterdam, New York with Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and with the support of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) on the one-year anniversary of a tragic limousine crash in Schoharie, New York that took the lives of 20 people. That package includes three marquee bills that advanced out of the Energy & Commerce and Transportation & Infrastructure Committee:

• Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act, sponsored by Tonko, a subcommittee chair in the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, promotes funding to support states’ efforts to impound or immobilize vehicles that fail inspection for critical safety reasons. The act will incentivize states such as New York to take strong actions to keep unsafe limos that fail inspection off the road.
• Safe Limousines Act, also sponsored by Tonko, includes a full slate of new federal stretch limousine safety rules and standards for seatbelts, seat integrity, a federal definition for limousines and crash safety research.
• End the Limo Loophole Act, sponsored by Rep. Antonio Delgado, a member of the House Committee on Transportation closes the “limousine loophole” by reclassifying vehicles used to carry nine or more passengers as commercial motor vehicles. Current law only classifies vehicles designed for 15 or more passengers in this way, allowing many limousines to operate under less rigorous standards. 
  

2. Broadband Internet Access

• Tonko’s ACCESS BROADBAND Act helps expand broadband access in underserved areas and create a simpler process for small businesses and local economic developers to access federal broadband resources.
• Tonko also worked to ensure that more than $100 billion in broadband funding would be included to expand high-speed internet access especially in areas that are currently underserved.
  

3. Clean Energy

As Chair of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment & Climate Change in the House, Tonko is a national leader in clean energy legislation, with several major bills that he authored included in H.R. 2, including:

• Weatherization—H.R. 2041, authored by Tonko, to reauthorize and improve the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program, the largest residential energy efficiency program in the country.
• EV Charging Infrastructure—H.R. 5530, authored by Tonko, to establish a new DOE rebate program to support deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at multi-family homes, workplaces, and other publicly accessible locations. 
• Other Tonko clean energy priorities include:

• $3.5 billion to support investments in grid modernization
• $1 billion in grants supporting renewable energy
• $27 billion to support building modernization
• $38 billion invested in clean vehicles
• Extending and expanding tax incentives to support renewable energy, energy efficiency, and zero-emission vehicles
  

4. Clean Water & Community Revitalization

The infrastructure package includes massive investments in drinking water systems, PFAS grants, getting lead out of schools, brownfields and more. Tonko has worked in Congress for years to ensure Americans have access to safe drinking water. Earlier this year, he celebrated the advance of major PFAS legislation—spearheaded by his Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee—out of the House of Representatives.

H.R. 2 contains a number of other significant investments, including:

• Modernizing the nation’s health care infrastructure by investing $30 billion to upgrade hospitals to increase capacity and strengthen care, help community health centers respond to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies, improve clinical laboratory infrastructure, support the Indian Health Service‘s infrastructure, and increase capacity for community-based care.   
• Modernizing and strengthening the United States Postal Service by investing $25 billion to modernize postal infrastructure and operations, including a zero emissions postal vehicle fleet, processing equipment and other goods.
• Promoting investments in our communities by spurring private investment through the tax code, through a revitalized Build America Bonds program, expansions of Private Activity Bonds, and significant enhancements to the New Markets Tax Credit and the Rehabilitation Tax Credit.
  

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