In a visit to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced nearly $6 billion in funding to help states improve access to clean water through upgrading infrastructure, replacing lead pipes and removing contaminants. 

What You Need To Know

  • In Pittsburgh, Vice President Kamala Harris announced nearly $6 billion in funding to help states improve access to clean water through upgrading infrastructure, replacing lead pipes and removing contaminants
  • Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan joined Harris in Pittsburgh to announce the $5.8 billion – which comes from President Joe Biden’s signature bipartisan infrastructure law signed in 2021
  • The new funding, the White House said, will reach every state and territory in the country
  • The vice president’s stop in the key battleground electoral state came as part of the administration’s fourth Investing in America tour

“We all believe that every person in America has a right to clean water and yet today across our nation for far too many Americans, that right is under threat for a variety of reasons,” Harris said, mentioning climate change has led to “historic droughts” in the West and floods overwhelming sewage systems and contaminating drinking water in the South. 

“This is a serious issue,” the vice president continued. “It's a serious issue with serious health implications, not to mention just basic points about what we need to do to address inequity.” 

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan joined Harris in Pittsburgh to announce the $5.8 billion investment, which comes from President Joe Biden’s signature bipartisan infrastructure law signed in 2021.

The new funding, the White House said, will reach every state and territory in the country.

“When President Biden and I talk about why we do what we do, it is to deliver in a way that is about real results for real people,” Harris declared on Tuesday. “It is about understanding the constraints and the burden that families face, that working people face for some basic things like having access to clean water.” 

In total, Biden’s infrastructure law designates $50 billion for clean water projects and efforts. Thus far, according to the White House, the administration has awarded $22 billion to improve clean water from the legislation. 

The vice president’s stop in battleground Pennsylvania – a state frequently visited by Biden and one that is expected to be key in November – came as part of the administration’s fourth Investing in America tour.

Over the coming weeks, top administration officials are spreading out around the country to pitch the American public on Biden’s economic agenda and attempt to convince them that the president deserves credit for rising consumer sentiment. 

Legislative Affairs Program Director and Assistant Professor at the George Washington University Casey Burgat noted in an interview with Spectrum News that Harris has taken on a key role on the road for her and Biden's 2024 reelection campaign. 

"We see from her public schedule that she is hitting Democratic bases really, really hard, not only in issue areas but also in geographies of states that are really important to the president, the ones that he needs to carry to have a shot at being reelected," Burgat said. 

In Pittsburgh, Harris sought to lay out how Tuesday's announcement would benefit the city in particular, noting Pensylvannia will receive $200 million from the new funding and pointing out spending from the administration has already aided the city in replacing more than 3,000 lead pipes. 

“The $200 million now coming to Pennsylvania can be used to replace old water mains across the state and also can be used to upgrade storm drains and prevent floods during the heavy rain,” Harris said.

Spectrum News' Cassie Semyon and The Associated Press contributed to this report