Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) has been selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead a campaign to 'Renew and Rebuild America.'
The article excerpts a speech made by Congressman Blumenauer at a recent conference entitled, "Rebuilding and Renewing America: Toward a 21st Century Infrastructure Investment Plan," hosted by the Regional Planning Association's America 2050 project.
"We need to be honest with the American public: we, in fact, need to invest more money in our infrastructure. Not just borrowing more money or selling off a few assets here and there-we need more money in the overall system. Absolutely, there is a role for creative finance, for innovative partnerships, for stretching resources, but at core, we need more money and we need to send the right pricing signals."
"We've introduced HB 5976, with over 20 bipartisan co-sponsors, which would put in place an effort to create that commission for an infrastructure plan for this century-not just transportation, but sewer and water, the electrical grid, and broadband. We need a big, comprehensive picture so that people know what the challenge is and what their role is. We need to change the value proposition, because we can squeeze more value out of what we're doing if we're able to break down some of these silos, if we're able to realign what the federal partnership looks like and focus on helping people rebuild and renew their communities."
FULL STORY: Congressman Earl Blumenauer Energizes Federal Effort to ‘Rebuild and Renew America’

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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