ICYMI: Spanberger Hosts U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Central Virginia, Touts Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Virginia Investments & Discusses Supply Chain Issues

During his Visit to Virginia’s Seventh District, Secretary Buttigieg Met with Henrico County Officials, Highlighted the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Provisions that will Deliver for the Commonwealth’s Economy, & Heard from Local Business Leaders about Ongoing Supply Chain Disruptions

**Click Here for Photos from Secretary Buttigieg’s Visit**

**Click Here for a Full Recording of Friday’s Henrico County Press Conference**

HENRICO, V.A. — IN CASE YOU MISSED IT — U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger hosted U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Central Virginia to celebrate the job-creating provisions of the bipartisan infrastructure law, meet with community leaders, and discuss ongoing supply chain challenges facing the Commonwealth and the country.

On Friday, December 3, Secretary Buttigieg joined Spanberger at an active construction site in Henrico County, where Woodman Road is being extended to connect areas of new development in Henrico and to alleviate traffic congestion in the area. At the site, they also stood at the front of the entrance of the new Fall Line Trail — which could be eligible for additional physical infrastructure investments through the recently signed into law Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In addition to highlighting the Virginia-specific benefits of the physical infrastructure package, Spanberger and Secretary Buttigieg both discussed how the bipartisan infrastructure law will help alleviate several ongoing challenges related to the nation’s supply chains.

At the event in Henrico County, Spanberger and Secretary Buttigieg were joined by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), U.S. Representative A. Donald McEachin, Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas, and Henrico County Board of Supervisors Chairman Daniel J. Schmitt — as well as additional Henrico County employees and officials. Click here to watch the full press conference.

Following the Woodman Road event, Spanberger hosted Secretary Buttigieg for a roundtable discussion with Central Virginia business and labor leaders. During the meeting, the participants shared their feedback, concerns, and ideas related to supply chain issues, transportation regulations, inflation, and future investments made possible through the bipartisan infrastructure law.

“One of my top priorities in Congress is making sure we deliver the responsible investments we need to keep our Commonwealth and our nation competitive — including through smart investments in our roads, bridges, pipes, broadband internet, and rails. I was proud to help negotiate this legislation and move it across the finish line. Now, we can begin the hard work of making sure these investments get to our communities as soon as possible,” said Spanberger. “That’s why I was so honored to bring Secretary Buttigieg to Henrico County to see firsthand how Central Virginia will put the bipartisan infrastructure law’s investments to work. Central Virginians know that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents good-paying jobs, a stronger regional economy, and the roadmap towards keeping Virginia the number-one state for business in the country. I was glad to hear Secretary Buttigieg touch on these themes, and I was proud to host him for a candid conversation with several Central Virginia business leaders about the supply chain issues we continue to face in our communities. I want to thank the Secretary for his time, his focus on these issues, his understanding of the hardworking Americans who serve in local governments, and his willingness to engage in direct conversations with Virginians.”

Spanberger voted with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act last month. During Friday’s press conference in Henrico County, Secretary Buttigieg thanked Spanberger for inviting him to Central Virginia and for championing the bipartisan infrastructure law in the U.S. House.

“Thank you so much Representative Spanberger. Thank you for your leadership, your service to country in more ways than one, and for encouraging me to come here — now I very much understand why. So much depends on local leadership, so it’s nice to finally see infrastructure getting the kind of attention and discussion that it deserves,” said Secretary Buttigieg. “I’m so thankful to the state, local, and federal leadership that has allowed us to do the work that you see around you and so much more where that came from thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law. It was an amazing moment when the President signed that infrastructure bill into law, something that so many Presidents and so many Congresses had talked about and hoped to achieve — seeing it finally get done on a bipartisan basis.”

“Henrico County is making tremendous investments in the people and places of our region. Our county already is investing in new roads, public works, utilities, and physical infrastructure, because we know that these smart and responsible investments have a direct and positive impact on Henrico’s quality of life,” said John Vithoulkas, County Manager, Henrico County. “I want to thank Congresswoman Spanberger for bringing Secretary Buttigieg to Henrico County and for making sure our voices and concerns are heard at the federal level. We were glad to host the Secretary to discuss how public investments in infrastructure have the potential to grow our economy, attract private investment, and make our communities stronger for the next generation.”

“As government officials, whether we’re working at the local, state or federal level, we have a responsibility — a duty in fact — to make our communities stronger and to make them places where businesses and families can prosper. In Henrico County, we not only accept this challenge — we are propelled by the belief that a community is only as strong as its schools, roads, public safety, and other facilities and infrastructure,” said Dan Schmitt, Chairman, Henrico County Board of Supervisors.

Earlier in the day, Spanberger joined Secretary Buttigieg, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, U.S. Representative McEachin, and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney for a walking tour of Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood to better understand how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will work to connect communities that have been historically disadvantaged due to physical infrastructure projects that left out marginalized communities.

The bipartisan infrastructure legislation marks the largest investment in America’s physical infrastructure in generations. Among its provisions for Virginia, the legislation includes an estimated $7 billion for Virginia highways and more than $530 million for Virginia bridge replacement and repairs over five years. Additionally, Virginia is expected to receive a minimum of $100 million to support its ongoing efforts to expand high-speed broadband internet access throughout the Commonwealth, as well as an expected $738 million over five years to improve Virginia’s pipes and water infrastructure.

Click here for a White House fact sheet outlining the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Virginia-focused provisions.

Last month, several Virginia organizations representing Central Virginia workers and businesses — as well as the region’s agriculture, forestry, telecommunications, healthcare, transportation, and recreation sectors — praised the passage of the legislation in the U.S. House and spoke out in support of the bipartisan legislation’s historic investments in physical infrastructure projects in the Commonwealth and across the country.

BACKGROUND

Passing a bipartisan, physical infrastructure-focused bill has been one of Spanberger’s major priorities this Congress. In April 2021, she joined fellow Members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus at the White House to discuss a path forward on these much-needed investments. Later that month, Spanberger met with a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, and Governors — including Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, to discuss shared physical infrastructure priorities in several U.S. states.

Following the successful bipartisan negotiation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in July 2021, Spanberger spoke in support of the legislation at a Problem Solvers Caucus press conference outside the U.S. Capitol. Click here to watch her remarks.

In August 2021, Spanberger hosted U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm in Central Virginia to highlight the economic benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure legislation following its passage in the U.S. Senate, as well as to amplify ongoing, community-focused efforts to create clean energy jobs in the region.

And in October 2021, Spanberger and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam joined representatives from several Virginia labor and business organizations to highlight the transformational and job-creating benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure package that was then awaiting action in the U.S. House — and to call for its swift passage.

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