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LaMalfa Rejects House Democrats’ Green New Deal Expansion

July 1, 2021

(Washington, D.C.) Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) issued the following statement after voting against the House Democrats partisan infrastructure package, H.R. 3684, the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act. The legislation would spend $548 billion over five years. $276 billion of that funding will be spent fulfilling the goals of the Green New Deal. As a result, the Highway Account, which collects gas taxes to pay for road and bridge projects across the United States, could go bankrupt within two years.

"Once again, House Democrats are forcing through a partisan infrastructure proposal which fails to address our nation's crumbling infrastructure." LaMalfa said, "Nearly half of the spending in this bill will go towards Green New Deal programs and expanded environmental requirements on existing programs. Meanwhile, Democrats have abdicated this opportunity to reduce the regulatory burden of constructing and expanding roads and bridges – which now accounts for 30% of the costs of every project. We don't need to pour more dollars on this problem, we need to effectively spend fewer dollars but while pouring more concrete."

Congressman Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California's First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.