Senator joins colleagues in new push to Senate Appropriations Committee requesting $100 million to fund vital infrastructure improvements
Historic investments funded through the Warnock-championed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Senator Reverend Warnock: “It is critical this program is fully funded in order to combat the worsening climate crisis for our most vulnerable populations”
Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined his colleagues in urging the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Healthy Streets Program that was authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
In a new letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Warnock and his colleagues are pushing to ensure $100 million in federal investments is included in the annual government funding package to provide grants for vital infrastructure improvement efforts supported by the Healthy Streets program—including projects designed to mitigate urban heat islands; improve air quality; and reduce the extent of impervious surfaces, stormwater runoff and flood risks, and heat impacts on infrastructure and road users. The robust investment would also fund assessments of urban heat islands and tree canopies with a specific focus on areas of extreme heat and poor air quality, including equity mapping of tree canopy gaps, flood-prone locations, and urban heat island hot spots in relation to communities of color, low-income populations, and transit stops and pedestrian walkways.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has already resulted in historic investments for Georgians and Americans nationwide, but we still have work to do to fully realize its impact,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “It is critical this program is fully funded in order to combat the worsening climate crisis for our most vulnerable populations and create healthier, greener communities that enable us all to thrive.”
As the Committee develops the Fiscal Year 2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, the letter asks they include full funding for the Healthy Streets Program. The BIL authorized $100 million for each of Fiscal Years 2022–2026 for a new Healthy Streets Program, though the program has yet to receive any appropriations.
Senator Warnock has long supported efforts to pass the bipartisan infrastructure law, beginning with his work in the U.S. Senate Commerce,Science, and Transportation Committee to secure infrastructure investments that will support Georgia jobs and help modernize the state’s infrastructure. The law includes several provisions led and supported by Senators Warnock and Ossoff, including policies and billions of dollars in investments to revitalize Georgia’s infrastructure—covering everything from roads and bridges, to ports and airports, to broadband and water and sewer infrastructure, electric vehicle charging infrastructure to electric school buses, removing lead water pipes from Georgia’s schools, and more.
# # #