Paul Tonko: “Absolutely. And as we invest in rail, we increase ridership if you are getting from A to B in a quicker time period than…”

“Absolutely. And as we invest in rail, we increase ridership if you are getting from A to B in a quicker time period than you would if you were traveling by car. It makes common sense and economic sense. From rail to broadband--I have communities in my district that are unserved or underserved with broadband services. Today, this is about doctors reading x-rays, children doing their homework, cottage industries launching and staying in business. This is an important bit of modern-day infrastructure. It is akin to the Rural Electrification Act of the 1930s, in the last century. We have a history that speaks to us boldly about what infrastructure meant. The Rural Electrification Act made America buzz with economic activity; provided economic justice by reaching every corner of this country, which broadband will do. Let me just mention this, and I will close with this for now. I chair the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change reporting to the Energy and Commerce Committee. Under our umbrella falls the responsibility for the Safe Drinking Water Act. The drinking water infrastructure in this Build Back Better effort, and infrastructure in general, is about making certain no children drink out of lead-infested pipes. 10,000 pipes in this country that are feeding and serving homes. There is no way children and families should be drinking water that has lead in it: we know that it is a permanent damage, irreversible; and we know that it is about social and economic justice.…”