Story By Acquanetta Warren | Fontana Herald News
Here are my remarks from the bipartisan infrastructure bill signing ceremony on Nov. 15 in Washington, D.C.:
Good afternoon, Mr. President, distinguished guests.
I am Acquanetta Warren, Mayor of Fontana, a city of 220,000 in San Bernardino County, California. I’m honored to be here and represent small and mid-sized communities in America.
This bill, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, is designed to help all of us — big, small and in between.
This bill brought together both Republicans and Democrats and will address the critical needs of our community by putting millions of Americans to work and providing long-term funding to address our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
I congratulate not only President Biden on this tremendous accomplishment, but the members of Congress (including my representatives Norma Torres and Pete Aguilar) of both parties who voted for this.
I attended many meetings regarding this bill (virtually of course) and was struck by the bipartisan nature of the discussions. It didn’t matter whether you were a Republican or a Democrat. You worked together to put the safety and efficiency of the American people first.
This bill will invest millions of dollars and produce countless jobs for cities such as Fontana. It will improve roadways, transit systems, our access to clean water and, for millions of Americans, their ability to access high-speed internet and bridge the digital divide.
This bill also addresses climate change and is a major step forward in protecting our communities against fires, drought and floods.
After the Great Depression, Roosevelt had his New Deal — putting America back to work and bringing forth programs that are still with us generations later: Social Security, unemployment insurance and federal agricultural subsidies. Now, after a pandemic that has shaken the global economy to its core, we have a Newer Deal — one that will put America back while protecting and advancing our infrastructure for generations to come. Mr. President, I have been working on getting the infrastructure bill since elected in 2010.
Thank you, members of Congress. And thank you, Mr. President.
The honor of promoting Fontana at the national level continues to be my number one priority to ensure we get any resources to improve your quality of life.
Stay tuned, Fontana, this is just the beginning. P.S. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
(Acquanetta Warren is the mayor of Fontana.)
