Duckworth Meets With BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director to Discuss Labor and Environmental Justice Priorities

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

April 19, 2023

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] —?Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with BlueGreen Alliance (BGA) Executive Director Jason Walsh to discuss their shared priorities to support and grow the American workforce while protecting the environment and building a more sustainable economy where everyone can thrive. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included Duckworth’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA) and is the most significant federal investment in water infrastructure in history, including $15 billion to replace lead service lines across the nation. 

“To truly rebuild our country better and stronger than before, we need to invest in clean jobs and sustainable solutions that will help us protect the environment, address environmental injustice and bring about a cleaner future for all of us—especially those who already shoulder the burden of the climate crisis the most,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud my water provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are already helping us create more jobs removing lead pipes and delivering cleaner drinking water—but we’re not done. I’m glad I had the chance to sit down with BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Jason Walsh to discuss more ways we can build on our progress toward a greener tomorrow, and I look forward to working together to make it a reality.” 

Senator Duckworth’s DWWIA, which has a focus on disadvantaged communities, will help rebuild our nation’s crumbling and dangerous water infrastructure and enable communities to repair and modernize their failing wastewater systems, while creating jobs. Duckworth is also the co-founder of the U.S. Senate’s first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, which focuses on advocating for communities that have been disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices.

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