The U.S. Congress has passed an $819 billion bill to fund the country’s infrastructure projects, which was partially funded by a new tax on foreign travel and tourism companies operating in the United States that were previously not charged taxes for their services.
The “infrastructure bill 2021” is a piece of legislation that was passed in the United States. The bill will help to improve and create better infrastructure for both private and public companies.
Travel industry officials are pleased this morning, after a historic $1.2 trillion infrastructure measure was enacted late Friday night by Congress.
After the Senate had previously voted in favor in August, the House of Representatives passed the oft-debated, controversial final vote by a margin of 228-206, CNN and other media sources reported.
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It is the single-largest governmental infrastructure investment in history.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is now on its way to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature, which is anticipated soon. $550 billion of the $1.2 trillion is set aside for transportation projects such as roads, bridges, airports, railways, and mass transit.
“The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s passing is both historic and long needed. In a statement, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow stated, “The law will have a major influence on how Americans travel for decades to come.”
“We can emerge from the epidemic with stronger, more modern, and efficient networks that can allow a revival in travel demand by making historic investments in our transportation infrastructure now.” For years, U.S. Travel has been a strong supporter for this essential piece of legislation and championed these critical principles. This act’s record levels of travel infrastructure investment—including airports, railroads, motorways, and electric car charging facilities, among other things—will hasten the future of travel mobility.”
According to CNN, the following is a breakdown of the bill’s expenditures:
– $110 billion for highways, bridges, and other large-scale infrastructure projects
– $40 billion to repair, replace, and rehabilitate bridges
– $11 billion for transportation safety, including a program to assist states and local governments in reducing collisions and deaths, particularly among bicycles and pedestrians.
– $1 billion to link communities that have been split by motorways and other infrastructure, mostly Black areas.
– $39 billion to upgrade public transportation
According to the bill text, $66 billion will be invested on passenger and freight rail. The money would be used to clear Amtrak’s maintenance backlog, improve the Northeast Corridor, and expand train service outside the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions.
In a statement, Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn stated, “Passenger rail provides the transportation answers our nation needs, and Amtrak is ready to make them happen.” “This law would enable Amtrak to go on with major infrastructure and station improvements on the (Northeast Corridor), as well as acquire new passenger rail equipment and develop new rail lines, delivering passenger rail to more people throughout the country.” The Administration and Congress believe in the future of rail and Amtrak, as seen by their commitment to rail in this package, and we will act expeditiously to progress these projects.”
– $65 billion to upgrade internet infrastructure throughout the country
– $17 billion in port infrastructure and $25 billion in airports, among other things, to address repair and maintenance backlogs. The Airport Improvement Program provides around $3.5 billion to airports each year.
In a statement, Airports Council International – North America President-CEO Kevin Burke stated, “We thank legislators on both sides of the aisle for coming together to approve this vital legislation to make a historic investment in our nation’s airports.”
“With air travel on the upswing, America’s airports are eager to get started on hundreds of critical enhancement projects that will boost the capacity of our terminals and runways, strengthen the reliability of our infrastructure, and enhance the overall passenger experience.” This bipartisan infrastructure bill has long been supported and advocated by ACI-NA because it offers a much-needed down payment to modernize outdated airport facilities around the nation. These additional expenditures will assist address key infrastructure issues at our airports, which have become significantly worse since the COVID-19 outbreak began.”
The law also creates a Chief Travel and Tourism Officer at the Department of Transportation to assist in the coordination of travel and tourism policies across all modes of transportation.
“This job will be critical in restoring our business and being ready to welcome guests from all around the globe back,” Dow added.
The “infrastructure bill amtrak map” is a bill that was passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. This bill will help improve infrastructure in America, but what does this mean for travelers?
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