Rep. García Joins Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to Announce Major Infrastructure Investment at O’Hare International Airport
CHICAGO - Today, Monday, November 21st, Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), the senior-most member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure from the Illinois delegation and co-founder of the Future of Transportation Caucus, joined U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in Chicago to highlight infrastructure investments at O’Hare International Airport and actions the Biden Administration is taking to improve air travel this holiday season and for the coming years. Representative García helped secure more than $11 billion in funds for Illinois as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed just over a year ago. The package includes more than $94 million in new federal funds for Chicago airports and more than $73 million for improvements at O’Hare — the third most allocated for any airport in the country. These funds will expand capacity to accommodate the growing traveler demand at one of the nation’s busiest airports.
“I authored and shepherded key portions of the President’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act through Congressas a member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, and am proud to see the fruits of this watershed legislation at O’Hare’s Terminal 5, throughout Chicagoland, and across the country,” said Rep. García. “As people travel across the country to see loved ones this holiday season — thousands passing through Chicago — we are reminded of our city’s place as America’s transportation hub. Workers at O’Hare and across Chicagoland keep our country moving. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will create millions more good jobs and will be a lifeline for working-class, immigrant neighborhoods and our region’s economy. We are only beginning to see the benefits of this historic piece of legislation. I look forward to working with my federal and local partners to make sure that these federal dollars continue to reach our communities.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation investment in our Nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness, including more than $11 billion for projects across Illinois. It will help rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails; expand access to clean drinking water; work to ensure access to high-speed Internet throughout the Nation; tackle the climate crisis; advance environmental justice; and invest in communities that have too often been left behind. This legislation does not raise taxes on everyday Americans, and it will create good-paying union jobs.