Blog

Infrastructure remains front and center in the national dialogue as the group of senators working on the bipartisan infrastructure framework have spent much of this month on negotiations. The bipartisan group reached an agreement on $550 billion in new spending, and the Senate voted to begin the multi-step process of debating the bill. Senate voted 67-32, with 17 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats voting in favor of moving forward. Final text of the bill has not yet been released, but $55 billion of the bill’s spending will be directed to water infrastructure. While this signals a historic investment in water, it is less than half of what is called for in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan.  | More >

The South is a region with considerable leadership in addressing the compounding challenges of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Southern communities are facing multiple climate disasters—from drought and extreme cold weather to algal blooms along the coast—resulting in communities without access to drinking water and exacerbating challenges for those that lack access to wastewater infrastructure. Participants in the South Listening Session lifted up the need to invest in the South to address these challenges, and the need to amplify frontline community voices in shaping solutions, policies, and practices.  | More >

The Mid-Atlantic is defined by water—bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and home to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Increasingly, the region is being shaped by severe weather events causing damage from too much water. From 2000-2020, the Mid-Atlantic had twice as many hurricanes as the preceding two decades. Climate change is making these weather events more intense and frequent and is compounding the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, participants of the Mid-Atlantic Recovering Stronger Listening Session shared optimism that this time of transition provides an opportunity to embrace bold new approaches. | More >

Navigating the challenges of our time requires a shift from competition to collaboration, and policymaking at all levels must support that. This has never been more true for the small, rural, and tribal communities across the country we work with at the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP).  | More >