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Senator Stabenow in Flint Highlighting Major Reforms to Lower Prescription Drug Costs

Source: United States Senator for Michigan Debbie Stabenow 2

Senate-Passed Inflation Reduction Act Lowers the Cost of Prescription Drugs, including Insulin, and Health Insurance

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

FLINT – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow today highlighted major reforms in the recently Senate-passed Inflation Reduction Act to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Stabenow was joined by Clarence Pierce, President & CEO of Hamilton Community Health Network, and Yaushica Aubert, President & CEO of Valley Area Agency on Aging.

Senator Stabenow has been a longtime champion in the fight to cut the cost of prescription drugs and was instrumental in including major reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation empowers Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and caps the Medicare out-of-pocket cost of insulin to $35 per month. It also caps Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 per year, and allows people to spread their costs over monthly payments. In addition, it increases help for low-income seniors on Medicare, provides free Medicare coverage of all vaccines, and penalizes drug companies for price hikes in Medicare that exceed the rate of inflation. It also lowers costs for people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

“Americans pay the highest prices in the world for their prescription drugs and it’s outrageous! To add insult to injury, taxpayers provide hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for the basic research that brings the new drugs to market. That’s why lowering the cost of life-saving medicine has been a major priority for me for years,” said Senator Stabenow. “I am very proud that my Democratic colleagues joined me in standing up to Big Pharma to get Michiganders and all Americans the help they need so they can afford their medicine.”

 

“Every day our doctors, nurses, and staff provide high-quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare to our patients, yet many patients struggle to pay for their prescription medications,” explained Clarence Pierce, Chief Executive Officer of Hamilton Community Health Network. “Patients are often forced to choose between purchasing their medication or buying groceries.”

“We know that our participants celebrating their golden years are on fixed incomes. Many times, they feel they have to choose between purchasing food, paying bills or purchasing medications. Also, they often take less of their medications to make them last longer, which is detrimental to their health. Lowering the cost of prescription drugs will help decrease this pressure – seniors should not have to choose between life staples, including medications that improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life,” said Yaushica Aubert, President & CEO of Valley Area Agency on Aging.

To learn more about the Inflation Reduction Act, click here.

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Fischer Joins Colleagues in Package to Bolster Violent Crime Statutes

Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

WASHINGTON, DC. – Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) recently joined 23 of her Republican colleagues in introducing a broad legislative package to clarify and strengthen violent crime laws. This includes homicides, bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping and other offenses.

The Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act resolves discrepancies brought on by conflicting court decisions and clarifies congressional intent regarding crimes of violence and their respective penalties.

“The lack of accountability for violent federal offenses is one reason many communities are seeing dramatic increases in criminal activity. This legislation would clarify and enhance penalties for violent crimes, which will help to protect our communities. This is sensible legislation to restore public safety that should earn bipartisan support,” said Sen. Fischer.  

“In order to combat violent crime and dangerous offenders there has to be efforts at the Federal, State and local levels of government.  I greatly appreciate Senator Fischer’s continued work to keep the public and law enforcement officers safe,” said Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer.

Background:

The Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act addresses ambiguity and conflicting application of existing law by clarifying congressional intent without establishing sweeping new offense categories.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led the introduction of the bill. Additional cosponsors include U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Kennedy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Risch (R-Idaho), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.).

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English/Español: Rubio to FBI: Show Your Work

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

The unprecedented raid on former President Trump’s residence in Palm Beach, Florida raises serious questions. Not only did the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fail to inform the leadership of the congressional intelligence committees, it also appears the actions are inconsistent with how the FBI handled previous cases regarding the unauthorized disclosures of classified information.
 
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding answers and a briefing to explain the FBI’s actions.

  • “No one is above the law, but every American also deserves equal justice under it. The FBI appears to have taken steps related to President Trump that it has never taken with any other former President, and that it has generally failed to take with respect to certain criminal referrals made from elements of the Intelligence Community (IC) to the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) relating to instances where individuals allegedly disclosed classified information without authorization.” – Senator Rubio

 
Want more? Read the full letter below.
 
Dear Director Wray:
 
Like many Americans, I was outraged to learn of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) unprecedented raid on former President Trump’s residence in Palm Beach, Florida from the media. The FBI’s actions, less than three months from the upcoming elections, are doing more to erode public trust in our government institutions, the electoral process, and the rule of law in the U.S. than the Russian Federation or any other foreign adversary. These values represent the very core of what the United States stands for, and what the FBI is mandated to protect. Yet the FBI raid sows the same division – and exacerbates the same loss of confidence in the U.S. political process – that adversaries like Vladimir Putin go to great lengths to foment.
 
According to press reports, the August 8, 2022 raid may relate to an ongoing national security investigation regarding compliance with the protection of classified information. No one is above the law, but every American also deserves equal justice under it. The FBI appears to have taken steps related to President Trump that it has never taken with any other former President, and that it has generally failed to take with respect to certain criminal referrals made from elements of the Intelligence Community (IC) to the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) relating to instances where individuals allegedly disclosed classified information without authorization.
 
As such, I request the answers to the following questions, no later August 17, 2022, as it relates to criminal referrals made by any element of the IC to the DoJ regarding unauthorized disclosure of classified information during the past five years:

  • Of referrals made by other elements of the IC, what percentage of those referrals resulted in the FBI opening preliminary investigations? What percentage of those referrals resulted in full investigations?
  • In what percentage of the referrals did the FBI raid the private residence of the individual in question?
  • Of the referrals made, what percentage of those referrals resulted in a formal filing of criminal charges?

 
All Americans deserve the right to know why the FBI raided President Trump’s residence, but the law requires that you inform, at a minimum, the leadership of the congressional intelligence committees regarding such activities if the purpose of the raid was related to an investigation regarding the unauthorized disclosure of classified information with intelligence equities.
 
Therefore, I expect an explanation as to why I, and to the best of my knowledge every other leader of the congressional intelligence committees, first learned of this raid on President Trump’s residence via the media, despite the law requiring the committees to be fully and currently informed of all intelligence activities undertaken by the U.S. Government, including any significant anticipated intelligence activity.
 
In addition, I request a meeting to understand the FBI’s concerns regarding the handling of classified material in this instance, and to understand why the FBI did not keep the congressional intelligence committee leadership fully and currently informed as the FBI has done in previous sensitive cases.
 
Thank you for your prompt response to these important issues.
 
Sincerely,

RUBIO AL FBI: ENSEÑENME SU TRABAJO 

La redada sin precedentes a la residencia del expresidente Trump en Palm Beach, Florida, plantea serias dudas. La Oficina Federal de Investigaciones (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) no solo no informó a los líderes de los comités de inteligencia del Congreso, sino que también parece que las acciones son inconsistentes con la forma en que el FBI manejó casos previos relacionados con la divulgación no autorizada de información clasificada.
 
El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL), Vicepresidente del Comité Selecto de Inteligencia del Senado de EE.UU., le envió una carta al director del FBI, Christopher Wray, exigiendo respuestas y una sesión informativa para explicar las acciones del FBI.

  • “Nadie está por encima de la ley, pero todos los estadounidenses también merecen la misma justicia bajo ella. El FBI parece haber tomado medidas relacionadas con el presidente Trump que nunca ha tomado con ningún otro expresidente, y que generalmente no ha tomado con respecto a ciertas referencias criminales hechas por elementos de la Comunidad de Inteligencia o por parte del Departamento de Justicia de EE.UU. (DoJ, por sus siglas en inglés) en relación con los casos en que las personas supuestamente revelaron información clasificada sin autorización”. – senador Rubio

 
¿Quiere más información? Lea la carta en inglés aquí.

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Tomorrow: Rubio To Visit Bridg/SkyWater Technologies & Hold Bilingual Media Availability

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 11, 2022, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) will tour BRIDG/SkyWater Technologies and hold a roundtable on supply chains, semiconductors, and China. 
 
Following the roundtable, Rubio will speak with members of the press in English and Spanish.
 
Media Availability Details:
Approximately at 10:30 AM EDT
Rubio Visits BRIDG/ SkyWater Technologies & Holds Bilingual Media Availability
Press is welcome to grab b-roll of Rubio’s tour and attend the roundtable prior to the media availability.
 
BRIDG/ SkyWater Technologies
200 NeoCity Way
NeoCity, FL 34744
 
Credentialed members of the media planning to attend must RSVP toRubioPressShop@rubio.senate.gov 

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Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $5 Million In Federal Funding For Long Island Airports

Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

August 10, 2022

Long Island MacArthur, Brookhaven, And Francis S. Gabreski Airports Will Receive Critical Funds

Today, U.S Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $5,432,999 in federal funding for three Long Island airports: Long Island MacArthur, Brookhaven, And Francis S. Gabreski. The funding was allocated through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which was bolstered by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and will be used to revitalize terminals and enhance airfield safety. 

“This federal investment from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, which I championed in the Senate, will help Long Island’s airports and local economies take off,” said Senator Schumer. “These airports connect businesses and residents and allow economic opportunities to thrive. I am proud I secured this vital funding for Long Island airports and I’ll continue fighting for the resources they need to fully recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and reach new heights.”

“Long Island’s airports serve hundreds of thousands of travelers each year,” said Senator Gillibrand. “They need to be safe, modern, and efficient in order to facilitate tourism and spur local economic growth, and that requires continued upgrades. That’s why I fought to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is providing billions in funds for projects like these. It’s time to rebuild our state’s crumbling infrastructure and this is a critical step in the right direction. I’m proud to be delivering these funds and I’ll keep fighting for resources to revitalize our airports, roads, and bridges.” 

A full list of funding recipients is below: 

Recipient

Amount

Purpose

Long Island MacArthur

$ 4,002,572

Rehabilitate terminal building

Brookhaven

$ 1,239,219

Reconstruct airfield guidance signs

Francis S. Gabreski

$ 191,208

Conduct airport related environmental

assessment/plan/study

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Scott, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Solidify U.S. Sanctions on Iran

Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

Wednesday | August 10, 2022

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act (SISA) to make the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 permanent. With Iran continuing to pursue a nuclear weapon and carrying out malign activity in the Middle East, our sanctions regime is our best tool to restrain Iran’s ability to fund operations that endanger Israel, Arab partners, and even U.S. military personal.

“The United States, Israel, and our Arab partners remain concerned about the looming threat that a nuclear Iran poses to the stability of the region,” said Senator Scott. “U.S. sanctions are a necessary deterrent for this dangerous and unstable regime, which is why my bill will make the cornerstone of sanctions on Iran permanent.”

“Iran has repeatedly undertaken destabilizing activities in the Middle East. This bipartisan legislation will ensure that we continue U.S. sanctions on Iran, which are important for restraining Iran’s ability to pursue weapons and technology that threaten our national security and the safety of Israel, our strongest partner in the region,” said Senator Hassan.

“I’m pleased to be an original co-sponsor of the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2022, a bill that will make permanent the Iran Sanctions Act, a cornerstone law in America’s broader sanctions program against Iran’s terror-sponsoring regime,” said Senator Hagerty. “As Iran increases its nuclear and ballistic missile threats and its support for terrorism and militancy in the Middle East, the United States should not ease sanctions and make it easier for the regime to continue its malign behavior.”

“The Iran Sanctions Act helped bring Iran to the negotiating table. For decades, Congress has extended this critical legislation on a bipartisan basis,” said Senator Rosen. “With Iran closer than ever to a nuclear weapon, I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation that ensures we maintain the full range of our economic and diplomatic tools to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.”

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Foundation for Defending Democracy Action have expressed support for this legislation.

Background:

In 1996, Congress passed the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), which allowed the president to impose secondary sanctions on Iran’s energy sector. Throughout the years, ISA provisions were expanded to include other Iranian industries. ISA consists of “triggers” that place sanctions on firms or entities that violate U.S. sanctions under this law. With looming uncertainty about Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon, it is essential that the United States solidifies its pivotal sanctions to apply pressure towards a rogue regime.

Click here to read the bill.

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Cortez Masto Calls on Administration to Release Unspent COVID Relief Funds to Restaurants

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

August 10, 2022

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led a group of over 70 senators and members of Congress in calling on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to release critical COVID relief funding to restaurants. In the American Rescue Plan, Congress established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to help restaurants that had lost revenue due to the pandemic, but a recent report showed that the available RRF funds have not been fully used. The letter calls on the SBA to prioritize the roughly 7,000 businesses that were approved for awards but did not receive them.

“Last month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled Restaurant Revitalization Fund: Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight that stated that as of as of June 2022, $180 million of RRF funding was unobligated. As you know, about 177,000 restaurants that applied to the program did not receive awards,” wrote the senators. “While we understand the remainder of the funding will not reach every business that applied, it is imperative that the SBA distribute every dollar to help as many struggling restaurants as is feasible.”

The full text of the letter is available here.

Senator Cortez Masto is a staunch advocate for small businesses across the state. The Senator secured extensive funding to support Nevada small businesses in the American Rescue Plan. The SBA also heeded her call to extend the deferment period for repaying loans to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program for a total of 30 months, protecting more than 42,1000 businesses and nonprofits across Nevada that benefitted from the program. Most recently, Senator Cortez Masto introduced the Small Business Wildfire Smoke Recovery Act to include wildfire smoke as eligible for disaster relief assistance for small businesses directly harmed by wildfire and the heavy smoke effecting their operations. The senator also recently testified about actions the SBA can take to prevent harmful practices in the franchise sector.

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King Celebrates President Biden Signing “Burn Pits” Bill to Support America’s Veterans With Toxic Exposure

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today applauded President Joe Biden signing the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation to provide veterans exposed to toxic hazards their earned healthcare and benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The new law expands VA benefits eligibility for more than 3.5 million veterans with exposure to toxic hazards like burn pits and Agent Orange – meeting the present and future needs of America’s servicemembers. 

“Today, America has taken a historic, long overdue step to meet the solemn commitment of support we owe to our veterans,” said Senator King. “Thousands of America’s men and women in uniform have been exposed to toxic substances in the line of duty, and for far too long, our nation left these servicemembers to battle the resulting health issues alone. After years of advocacy from veterans groups, the just-signed PACT Act finally addresses this moral failure by providing hazard-exposed veterans the full benefits, support, and healthcare they deserve. The law will save lives, and makes it abundantly clear that America will always support the needs of those who served. I’m deeply grateful for everyone who worked to make today’s signing possible, and for President Biden’s support of the critical effort. The effort may have hit a few roadbumps, but at the end of the day, Congress came together and overwhelmingly delivered on our nation’s enduring promise to our servicemembers.”

Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson deployed to Kosovo and Iraq with the Ohio National Guard and died in 2020 from toxic exposure as a result of his military service. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 will:

  • Expand VA health care to more than 3.5 million toxic exposed and post-9/11 combat veterans;
  • Create a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure;
  • Add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to VA’s list of service presumptions, including hypertension;
  • Expand presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure; Includes Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll as locations for Agent Orange exposure;
  • Strengthen federal research on toxic exposure;
  • Improve VA’s resources and training for toxic-exposed veterans; and
  • Set VA and veterans up for success by investing in VA claims processing, VA’s workforce, and VA health care facilities.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator King has been a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. He has made addressing the mental health and suicide epidemic facing America’s veterans one of his top priorities, and after hearing the suggestion during a Veterans History Project Interview, secured a report on servicemember suicide in the committee draft of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. He also recently introduced the Save Our Servicemembers (S.O.S.) Act, which would work to improve the Department of Defense’s servicemember suicide prevention efforts. 

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Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces $6 Million in Additional Federal Funds for Baltimore’s Penn Station Modernization

Source: United States Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen

August 10, 2022

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Kweisi Mfume (All D-Md.) announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $6 million through theRebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program for the ongoing modernization of Baltimore’s Penn Station. The lawmakers worked to authorize the RAISE grant program at $12.5 billion over five years under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. For Fiscal Year 2022, the program was funded at $2.275 billion from both the infrastructure law and the FY22 omnibus appropriations bill. These federal funds for theBuilding Baltimore Penn Station Connections Project, which the lawmakers supported, supplements the $5 million congressional earmark the delegation obtained for the project in the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations bill to increase multimodal mobility, safety, and connectivity.

“Serving more than three million passengers a year, Penn Station is the nation’s rail gateway to Baltimore and its local neighborhoods. Investing in the station and its vicinity by creating safer and more useful connections between trains, buses, pedestrian and bike access, is one of the most important things we can do to support the city’s economy and livability,” the lawmakers said. “This grant is a prime example of why we fought to pass theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is transforming neighborhoods by creating jobs and local opportunities across the country. Team Maryland will continue to deliver federal funding for locally-driven projects that strengthen our communities.”

The Maryland Department of Transportation describes the project as offering “comprehensive benefits to Baltimore City residents and the region, which include: 

  • “Improving the safety of transportation options with well-designed streets that support safe walking, biking, transit use and for-hire vehicle use. 
  • “Providing more reliable transit travel times.
  • “Supporting projected doubling of rail passenger ridership by 2040 with multi-modal connections to the station.
  • “Leveraging the $100M+ commitment from Amtrak to redevelop and expand the historic station.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation investment in American infrastructure that will provide more than $7 billion in federal funding directly to Maryland over five years to strengthen our roads and bridges, along with our water infrastructure, broadband internet, climate resilience, and more. The lawmakers worked to enact this law in Congress to create good jobs, grow the economy, enhance U.S. competitiveness in the world, and make our transportation system more sustainable and equitable.

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Maryland Congressional Delegation Members Announce $20.5 Million for New Carrollton Station Expansion, Improvements

Source: United States Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen

August 10, 2022

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, John Sarbanes, Anthony Brown, and Jamie Raskin (all D-Md.) announced $20,500,000 in federal funding to improve and expand New Carrollton Station and increase accessibility to the Prince George’s County transit hub. This funding, which the lawmakers supported, will support major infrastructure improvements for the multi-modal site, including the construction of a new train hall, preparations for Purple Line service, and creation of new trails and walkways to increase cyclist and pedestrian accessibility. The funds are provided through the Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grants Program, which the lawmakers fought to significantly boost within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“This is a major investment in the future of Prince George’s County,” the lawmakers said. “This funding will help grow New Carrollton Station into a state-of-the-art bus and rail transit hub that is more accessible by foot, bike, or car and promotes sustainable development in the surrounding communities. Projects like these – which improve our infrastructure, reduce emissions, and spur local economic development – are exactly why we fought to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. We were proud to support Prince George’s County’s request for federal funding for this project, and we will keep working to deliver more federal resources to expand Maryland’s public transportation network.” 

“This is yet another symbol of rising opportunity for all Prince Georgians,” said Alsobrooks. “We are excited about this project because it will transform the largest employment cluster in the County into a true “downtown” area and help ensure that New Carrollton becomes the premier transit hub on the eastern seaboard. We want to thank our federal delegation, WMATA, and Urban Atlantic for support on this project and for their dedication to improving the quality of life for Prince Georgians.”

This $20.5 million investment will fund construction of multi-modal transit station improvements at New Carrollton Station, including a new train hall for the existing MARC, Metrorail, and Amtrak service, incorporating connections to Metrobus, TheBus, and Greyhound bus services, and the future Maryland Purple Line light rail. It will also make new sidewalks, bike lanes, lighting, signalization, and traffic calming improvements on Garden City Drive to increase access to the station and enhance the train hall plaza space to be more welcoming to users. 

The lawmakers worked to authorize the RAISE Grant Program at $12.5 billion over five years under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. For fiscal year 2022 (FY22), the program was funded at a combined $2.275 billion from both the infrastructure law and the FY22 government funding bill. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation investment in American infrastructure that will provide more than $7 billion in federal funding directly to Maryland over five years to strengthen our infrastructure from transit systems to roads and bridges to water infrastructure, broadband connectivity, and more. The law includes measures on workforce development, equity, and climate change. The lawmakers worked to secure passage of this law in Congress, which will help spur job creation, enhance U.S. competitiveness, and make our transportation systems more sustainable and equitable.