Sen. Mark Kelly says new infrastructure bill will benefit Yuma County
News 11's Cody Lee sits down with the Senator from Arizona to discuss the impact
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The U.S. Senate is moving toward approving a trillon dollars for infrastructure. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is one of 68 senators - Democrats and Republicans - vote to move forward. The Senate's back in session today. We should see final approval tomorrow or Wednesday.
Sen. Mark Kelly says this bill is something that should have been done decades ago. It includes money for upgrades to the U.S.-Mexico port of entries, along the Arizona border, and funding to enhance water distribution and storage.
It’s a bill that Sen. Krysten Sinema paved the way for. Monday on the Senate floor, she spoke ahead of the final vote.
“In Washington, palace-intrigue and insider-drama often steal the spotlight from important policy issues. I promised Arizonans something different. I chose, instead, to follow the example of Sen. John McCain -- who, as the Arizona Republic recently recalled, “refused to demonize the opposition party and worked to reach bipartisan agreements that tried to bring the country together,” Sen. Sinema said.
Arizona’s other senator sat down with News 11 to talk about the critical needs addressed in the bill. There are over 150 water projects that have been flagged and need repairs in the state.
“Including in and around Yuma, that's going to repair water infrastructure including pipes in certain areas right but also repairing dams and canals and pumping plants and all that stuff to make us more resilient to drought,” Sen. Kelly explained.
The town of Tacna's current system is more than 40 years old and the community has been dealing with high arsenic levels since 2011.
“That's unacceptable and they should not be dealing with this so the goal would be after we get these projects underway, is that issues like what Tacna is experienced does not happen anymore,” he said.
Over at the border, Kelly solidified three billion dollars, which will go to the port of entries, including the one in San Luis.
“Once that project is underway, that'll be pretty obvious.”
The senator says the ports need better technology, more staffing, and immigration judges. Sen. Kelly hopes it will increase commerce across the border and better the economy in Arizona. He tells KYMA funds will also be used to repair and upgrade roads and bridges across the state.
