**Yesterday, Kuster joined the signing ceremony at the White House for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act**

Woodstock, N.H. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) welcomed President Joe Biden to New Hampshire to highlight the impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package, signed into law yesterday, for the Granite State. Kuster brought Rich Grogan, Executive Director of the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), and NH State Representative Eamon Kelley, an executive at White Mountain Lumber, as her guests to the President’s visit. Earlier this month, Kuster announced that the NBRC will receive $150 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“It was an honor to welcome President Joe Biden to New Hampshire today to see first-hand the impact the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package he signed into law yesterday will have on our NH communities,” said Rep. Kuster. “From bolstering rural broadband access to repairing bridges to bringing commuter rail to NH, this legislation is a game-changer for Granite State families. I was proud to secure support for the Northern Border Regional Commission, which has been instrumental in spurring economic development in the North Country and rural parts of our state, in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package. I will continue fighting for New Hampshire priorities in Congress.”

"As others have said, these funds are a once-in-generation investment in our region, and the NBRC is excited to begin work on deploying the funds thoughtfully and strategically,” said Rich Grogan, Executive Director of the Northern Border Regional Commission. “Consistent with our existing grant programs, we look forward to partnering with State and community leaders, and the many incredible stakeholders throughout the region, to put these funds to work in our communities." 

“As both a New Hampshire State Representative and a business owner in the region, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package is very exciting for our state and our economy,” said New Hampshire State Representative and White Mountain Lumber executive Eamon Kelley. “By repairing and expanding our hard infrastructure, it will make it easier to transport goods – like lumber – and for Granite State families to travel and live their lives. I want to thank Rep. Kuster for her advocacy on behalf of New Hampshire in this package, and for always standing up for our Granite State economy.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Package delivers much-needed funding to New Hampshire to:

• Repair Roads and Bridges: $1.1 billion in federal highway funds and $225 million for bridge repairs to keep our critical infrastructure safe.  
• Broaden Access to Commuter Rail: $66 billion nationally for federal rail investments. This funding will help improve the existing Amtrak service in New Hampshire and provide the state with additional federal resources to build the Capitol Corridor Project.
• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $250 million to cover credit risk premiums for Railroad Rehabilitation Improvement Financing (RRIF) loans. This will make it more affordable for states like New Hampshire to use RRIF as a source of funding for passenger rail projects and was inspired by Rep. Kuster’s bipartisan Invest in American Railroads Act. 
• Deliver on Broadband Expansion: $100 million to expand broadband coverage around the state to help Granite Staters stay connected.
• Deliver Clean Drinking Water: New Hampshire is expected to receive $418 million over the next five years to improve water infrastructure across the state. With some municipalities operating with water infrastructure over 100 years old, this historic investment will deliver important resources to New Hampshire communities in need. 
• Lower Energy Costs for Families: This bipartisan legislation invests $3.5 billion nationally into the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which lowers home energy costs for lower-income families in New Hampshire.
• Reimagine Our Nation’s Dams: $2.4 billion federal investment in rehabilitating, retrofitting, and removing dams to improve dam safety, increase hydropower production to reduce carbon emissions, and remove dams to enhance the health of river ecosystems.
• Many of the dam investments are based on Rep. Kuster’s bipartisan Twenty-First Century Dams Act. 
• Address Climate Change: $65 billion to modernize our electric grid for a clean electricity future, $7.5 billion to build out a national network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help us decarbonize the transportation sector, $4.7 billion to reduce methane emissions by plugging old oil wells, and $3.5 billion to advance direct air capture technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  

Kuster is a fierce advocate in Congress for New Hampshire’s North Country and for Granite State businesses. During her tour of the North Country this August, Kuster met with members of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners' Association to discuss conservation on Granite State Working Forests, noticeable effects of climate change on forests and the industry, and their vision and goals for the future. Earlier this month, Kuster announced that the NBRC will receive $150 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

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