Let’s look at what it does for Oregon

I want to use this note to share a number I think is really important for Oregon to remember: $1.7 billion.

That's the amount our state will be receiving for critical infrastructure projects here at home. Money that will help make badly-needed improvements and bring our state's outdated infrastructure into the 21st century.

When President Joe Biden signed this bipartisan infrastructure deal into law, it was not only the culmination of months of hard work, but of a longstanding promise: put Democrats back in charge, and we'll get to work rebuilding America.

Bridges and roads, trains and electric vehicles. Upgrades to public water systems, making them safer for schools, homes, and communities. Rural broadband access. Funding to fight the ever-increasing number of wildfires.

Each of those community-first priorities will pay dividends for decades to come. And all of it with an eye to tackling the climate crisis and how we need to be responsible stewards of our resources, and to creating badly-needed jobs for skilled American workers.*

This was a bipartisan achievement, at a time when those can be hard to come by.

Democracy is hard work, full of stalemates and conflicts. And while we've got to fight through those tough times, we can't let them take anything away from the victories. This infrastructure package represents the largest investment in America in nearly half a century. That's a big win.

We have so much more to do in 2022, and yes, it's not going to be easy. But together, I'm confident we can keep building the progressive and inclusive nation this needs to be. And that's something we should all be proud of.

Ron