KPCC-FM
November 15, 2021
Reporter: The federal infrastructure bill that President Biden is signing today has 17 billion dollars in it for the nation’s ports. Congresswoman Nanette Barragán represents the port of Los Angeles and the residential communities to the north of it, and she has some thoughts on how the money earmarked for California should be used here.
Congresswoman Barragán: Number one is making sure that we’re investing in rail. We need a better, more efficient way of getting goods onto rail and out quicker. Our rail lines are also outdated.
Reporter: The infrastructure bill could also pay for an expansion of the ports so larger ships and more container carriers could be processed at the same time, but she says most important is money to help mitigate the environmental impact of more traffic at the ports and that could come from a bill she wrote that’s been included in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act that is still awaiting passage in Congress.
Congresswoman Barragán: If we’re going to increase operations, it’s going to have these big trucks, then let’s make sure we have as many things as we can, fewer emissions, so that our communities are not suffering.
Reporter: Democrats’ efforts to pass the act will resume next week when the House is back in session. The current estimated price tag for the environmental, economic and social investment bill is almost two trillion dollars.