WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — The $1 trillion infrastructure bill and $3.5 trillion spending bill both continue being debated in Congress, but will impact virtually every American if passed.
In the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, it includes provisions that benefit transportation in virtually every state.
Alaska will get a billion dollars to create and maintain a ferry system that reaches rural parts of the state.
Louisiana would have money earmarked for a $150 million passenger train that connects New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Advocates began championing the idea after Hurricane Katrina showed how overcrowded the highways can get in a major disaster.
West Virginia residents would finally get the long-awaited Corridor H, a highway that has been in construction for over 50 years. It would connect that section of West Virginia to the overall Appalachian highway system which is a critical component to the transportation and economies of the states surrounding it.
The Appalachian highway system will get $2 billion with an additional $195 million specifically for Corridor H.
These plans go alongside the broader commitments to clean energy, clean water and federal infrastructure laid out in the $1 billion plan.
In the $3.5 trillion spending bill, there are more provisions that broadly impact the average American’s life.
The Biden administration has stated its child care provisions would benefit 5 million kids and save the average family $13,000.
Twenty-four million Americans who rely on Medicare would get dental, vision and hearing care covered for the first time ever.
Alongside the more specific provisions, there are changes to the U.S. tax code and commitments for funding programs that improve the quality of life in underserved communities.
There are additional carveouts in the legislation that don’t necessarily contribute to infrastructure or “human infrastructure,” but the specifics on those components will become clear once the bill is passed through Congress.