It seems like a long time since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on February 17. In fact, it’s only been 100 days. In that time, we’ve obligated over 100 billion dollars, created more than 150,000 jobs and started important projects in every state and territory of America. Today, President Obama released a snapshot of these projects called "100 Days, 100 Projects."

As we worked to compile the Report, all of us were struck by the very personal stories that we came across. We learned that Recovery is about more than just projects. It’s about helping people who have been hit hard by the worst recession of our lifetimes. It’s about people like Joe Jamiel who was able to keep his family’s shoe store open in Rhode Island with an SBA loan; or Chang Suhn Lee and his wife Soon Oak who will be expanding their small farm in Virginia; or the more than 54 million Americans who got an extra $250 in their Social Security checks this month to help make ends meet.

Recovery means that a health care clinic in Pearl, Mississippi can serve an additional 9,000 patients over the next two years and the Housing Authority of Laredo Texas will install $1,500,000 of green improvements to lower costs and improve people’s homes. In Allen Parish Louisiana, there will be four new fire trucks and in the State of Maine a new ferry to serve the people on islands in Penobscot Bay.

As we move forward during the next 100 days and beyond, we are creating a road map that we will present soon to highlight the commitments and milestones ahead. Starting in October, the Recovery.Gov website will provide detailed information on how monies were spent, an estimate of how many jobs were created, and where these jobs are. 

As Vice President Joe Biden said, "We’ve done a lot in 100 days. But we know there is still much to do... You know, as we do, that the road to full recovery will be long and not always smooth. But we also know that, working together, there is no doubt that we will reach the end of that road. When we do, America will be better and stronger than ever."

Hey, taskforce fans. We’re just back from Denver where we hosted our fourth meeting. It was on the green economy and the opportunities therein for middle-class folks. VP Biden was joined by all kinds of interesting partners from our world, including Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan; Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Poneman; United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk; and Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Van Jones.

Once again, the Vice-President hosted a town-hall style meeting because that’s the best way for him and the rest of this crew to learn what middle-class families are going through right now, and how these issues resonate with them (read the Vice President’s opening remarks).

Those who’ve been with us from the beginning will notice that this is our second taskforce meeting on this topic of green jobs. This is no accident: our emphasis on green energy occurs at the intersection of two of the Obama Administration’s most important policy initiatives: protecting the environment and creating good jobs.

On the first point—fighting back against global warming—this past week has been a good one. On Tuesday the President hosted an historic event where stakeholders who have been at odds for years on this stuff came together to support a much higher mileage standard for vehicles. (BTW, IMHO one of President Obama’s more important skills is the ability to take folks who traditionally line up on opposite sides and bring them together—you see it in health care too.) 

The administration’s plan to promote clean energy use also made some headway in Congress last week.

Then there’s green jobs, which we define broadly (and loosely—there is no official definition) as jobs that help to improve the environment in some way. That includes blue collar workers building out the smart grid to efficiently move the wind power (green, renewable energy) across the land. It includes "weatherizers" who can diagnose and repair the energy inefficiencies in your house or business. And it includes the green manufacturers who made those wind turbines or the scientists and lab technicians who developed those renewable energy sources and weatherization materials.

It’s important to see the connection between these various initiatives: our clean energy agenda, mileage standards, and green jobs. By setting higher mileage standards and by promoting incentives to use clean energy (while reducing our dependence on foreign oil), we create new demand for the science, techniques, products, and tools to meet the standards. We help to grow the market for more efficient engines and new production techniques that reduce carbon emissions. And a growing market means more jobs for middle-class families.

Now, with new markets come new labor demands, and new demand requires new supply. In this case, we’ll need more workers with the skills to meet the demands, and that’s a big focus of our Denver meeting. We’re announcing a great, new green jobs training program funded by $500 million from the Recovery Act.

So, go green, and go taskforce!

At the same time, retrofitting American homes will also enhance their value - since energy efficient homes are more valuable than drafty ones. In other words, an aggressive program to retrofit America will create more work, more wealth, and better health for middle class Americans.

That is why today Vice President Biden asked the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to help the administration develop long-term, innovative proposals to begin weatherizing and retrofitting our nation’s building stock.

Fortunately, the Obama-Biden administration is already off to a great start! Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the administration made a significant investment in making America’s homes more energy efficient, dramatically increasing previous funding levels for weatherization and retrofit of buildings. 

For example, the Weatherization Assistance Program was funded at only around $250 million in 2008. The Recovery Act boosted funding to $5 billion. That translates to jobs for professionally trained crews using computerized energy audits and advanced equipment to determine the most cost-effective measures. To meet this demand for workers, there will have to be a huge ramp-up in training workers. That's why the Recovery Act also includes $500 million for green job training through the Department of Labor.

Moving beyond those who are presently benefiting, the Obama-Biden administration wants to find ways to extend energy efficiency to the entire middle class. On average, a complete weatherization reduces a household’s annual gas heating consumption by 32 percent; that translates to an average of $350/ year, at current prices. Retrofitting and upgrading buildings so they waste less energy benefits the middle class in numerous ways: job creation; entrepreneurial and business opportunities; a healthier environment; and reduced home energy costs.

We don’t want the national drive to cut America’s home energy bills to come to an end when the Recovery Act funding is spent. So, over the next 90 days, we will review proposals that build on the foundation laid in ARRA to expand green opportunity and energy savings for the middle class. We at CEQ are happy to accept the challenge!

 

Next week on May 26^th the Middle Class Task Force will hold its fourth official meeting entitled "Building a Strong Middle Class through a Green Economy." The town hall style meeting will be held at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science where the President signed the Recovery Act and kicked off a new wave of green jobs across the country.

The first meeting of the Task Force was also on this topic -- held in Philadelphia it explored the vision and possibilities of green jobs.  This meeting will start looking at how those possibilities are becoming reality, and how the full potential of that vision be reached. The impressive roster of attendees will include Vice President Biden (Chair of Task Force), Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The President has taken bold steps to enhance transparency in government, end lobbying abuses, and ensure that the government’s spending decisions are based on merit.  As we’ve mentioned in a prior post, we continue to track the implementation of the President’s unprecedented transparency rules for lobbying contacts under the Recovery Act.  Yesterday we had two meetings about the rules at which lobbyists were present.  First, we met with representatives of groups from the reform community, including those generally supportive of the policy.  A wide array of opinions was aired, with some indicating that they want the policy to stay as is, and others making a variety of suggestions for changes to make the policy even tougher.  Later in the day, we met with representatives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who oppose the rules.  We heard their concerns and engaged in discussion about their particular objections.  We continue to believe that the rules are sound as a matter of law and policy, but consistent with the President’s instructions, we are using this 60-day implementation period to cultivate, and listen to, a wide range of views.  Present at the reform group meeting were:

 

Nicole Austin Hillary

Director and Counsel, Washington Office

The Brennan Center for Justice

Meredith McGehee

Policy Director

Campaign Legal Center

 

Tara Malloy

Associate Legal Counsel

Campaign Legal Center

Sarah Dufendach

Vice President for Legislative Affairs

Common Cause

Fred Wertheimer

President

Democracy 21

Scott Amey

General Counsel

Project on Government Oversight

Craig Holman

Legislative Representative

Public Citizen

John Wonderlich

Policy Director

Sunlight Foundation

 

Lisa Rosenberg

Government Affairs Consultant

Sunlight Foundation

 

Daniel Schuman

Policy Counsel

Sunlight Foundation

Lisa Gilbert

Democracy Advocate

U.S. PIRG

Lee Mason

Director of Nonprofit Speech Rights

OMB Watch

 

Sheila Krumholz

Executive Director

Center for Responsive Politics

 

Lloyd Leonard

Director of Advocacy

League of Women Voters

 

Norm Ornstein

Resident Scholar

American Enterprise Institute

 

Present at the meeting with the Chamber of Commerce were:

 

Steven Law

Chief Legal Officer

 

Judith K. Richmond

Associate General Counsel

 

Amar Sarwal

Staff Attorney

 

In addition to Norm Eisen, White House attendees included Preeta Bansal of OMB, Mike Mongan of the Office of the Vice President, and members of their staff.

 

 

President Obama has made historic commitments to putting the public interest first and to cracking down on special interests and, in particular, lobbying abuses. To accomplish that, he has put forward the toughest rules in history closing the revolving door between K Street and the Executive Branch and putting contacts with lobbyists regarding projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on the internet for all Americans to see. 

 

We know some people think the Administration has been too tough in keeping lobbyists out of government jobs, and too tough in making lobbyist contacts about Recovery Act projects fully transparent. We don’t think so. We think our restrictions are correct to promote the public interest ahead of special interests. As the President has noted, one of the hallmarks of being tough is that you not only talk to the people you agree with—you talk to the ones you disagree with. So we want to hear from everyone affected during the 60-day initial evaluation period for the stimulus lobbying restrictions. We have heard from those that support these rules. On Friday, we met with several groups who disagree with the rules. These groups included Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the American League of Lobbyists (ALL). Present at the meeting were the following, each representing the entity noted:

 

Michael W. Macleod-Ball, Chief Legislative and Policy Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Melanie Sloan, Executive Director, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW); Adam Rappaport, Senior Counsel, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW); David Wenhold, President, American League of Lobbyists (ALL); Kenneth A. Gross, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (representing ALL);

 

and

 

Norman Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform; Preeta Bansal, General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Management and Budget; Michael Mongan, Deputy Counsel to the Vice President; and members of their staffs.   

 

We told them we believed the restrictions were tough but fair to make sure that lobbyist communications are as transparent as possible, and that stimulus decisions are based on the merits. They agreed with our objectives -- any differences we have are over the best means to achieve those goals. They took exception to some of the specifics of the restrictions and we had an honest exchange about our differences. We noted that others, including in the reform community, strongly support the restrictions and we have heard from them too as part of the 60 day evaluation period mandated by the President's Memorandum.

Speaking at a wind tower production facility in Iowa today, the President laid out his vision for a new clean energy economy, independence from foreign oil, keeping pollution out of our air and water, and finally addressing the climate change problem that has been neglected for decades in Washington. The President was introduced by Richard Mulbrook, the current Maintenance Manager there -- and a former Maytag employee before the company closed its operations at the same plant. As the President explained, the transformation that happened at this plant in Iowa was a sign of the transformation that America can undergo with the right vision and the right investments:

 

I just had a terrific tour of the facility led by several of the workers and managers who operate this plant.  It wasn't too long ago, as Rich said, that Maytag closed its operations in Newton.  And hundreds of jobs were lost.  These floors were dark and silent.  The only signs of a once thriving enterprise were the cement markings where the equipment had been before they were boxed up and carted away.

 

Look at what we see here today.  This facility is alive again with new industry.  This community is still going through some tough times.  If you talk to your neighbors and friends, I know they -- the community still hasn't fully recovered from the loss of Maytag.  Not everybody has been rehired.  But more than 100 people will now be employed at this plant -- maybe more, if we keep on moving.  Many of the same folks who had lost their jobs when Maytag shut its doors now are finding once again their ability to make great products.

 

Now, obviously things aren't exactly the same as they were with Maytag, because now you're using the materials behind me to build towers to support some of the most advanced wind turbines in the world.  When completed, these structures will hold up blades that can generate as much as 2.5 megawatts of electricity -- enough energy to power hundreds of homes.  At Trinity, you are helping to lead the next energy revolution.

 

The President placed what was happening in Iowa in the context of two centuries of energy innovation in America, but noted America’s leadership in innovation had always been coupled with an alarming rise consumption. The President ran down the all-too-familiar list of problems our energy consumption and oil dependence brings, from those people face every day like prices at the gas pump, to those that have a broader but equally serious impact like the trade deficit, constraints on foreign policy, and the prospect of irrevocable climate change left as a burden for out children.

 

(President Barack Obama is given a tour of the Trinity Structural Towers Manufacturing Plant by Senior
Vice President, Mark Stiles, Wednesday, April 22, 2009, in Newton, Iowa. White House Photo/Pete Souza)

 

As the President has stated again and again, these problems also represent a fundamental weakness in our economy which will prevent long term stability as long as we refuse to address them. And while those interests who have profited off of this weakness have aligned to defend the status quo and paint change as a danger, the President forcefully framed what this choice is all about:

 

We can't afford that approach anymore -- not when the cost for our economy, for our country, and for our planet is so high.  So on this Earth Day, it is time for us to lay a new foundation for economic growth by beginning a new era of energy exploration in America.  That's why I'm here.  (Applause.)

 

Now, the choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy.  The choice we face is between prosperity and decline.  We can remain the world's leading importer of oil, or we can become the world's leading exporter of clean energy.  We can allow climate change to wreak unnatural havoc across the landscape, or we can create jobs working to prevent its worst effects.  We can hand over the jobs of the 21st century to our competitors, or we can confront what countries in Europe and Asia have already recognized as both a challenge and an opportunity:  The nation that leads the world in creating new energy sources will be the nation that leads the 21st-century global economy.

 

America can be that nation.  America must be that nation.

 

The President readily acknowledged that this is no easy task at hand, but for those who contend that this is idle idealism, the President offered a dose of reality:

 

Think about this.  I want everybody to think about this.  Over the last several decades, the rest of the country, we used 50 percent more energy; California remained flat, used the same amount, even though that they were growing just as fast as the rest of the country -- because they were more energy efficient.  They put in some good policy early on that assured that they weren't wasting energy.  Now, if California can do it, then the whole country can do it.  Iowa can do it.

 

He also pointed to benefits already being reaped from the Recovery Act, and the $15 billion dedicated each year in his budget for the development of clean energy sources that would amplify those gains. He discussed the jobs and other long-term economic gains of his investments in high-speed rail and other mass transit. And he also made news with one more specific announcement: "Through the Department of Interior, we are establishing a program to authorize -- for the very first time -- the leasing of federal waters for projects to generate electricity from wind as well as from ocean currents and other renewable sources."

 

The President then went on to address an issue generating heated debate in Congress right now, namely climate change. While agreeing that the economy and jobs are the most urgent priority right now, he also left no doubt that climate change is extremely serious and not to be ignored any longer – he offered his solution:

 

I believe the best way to do it is through legislation that places a market-based cap on these kinds of emissions.  And today, key members of my administration are testifying in Congress on a bill that seeks to enact exactly this kind of market-based approach.  My hope is that this will be the vehicle through which we put this policy in effect.

 

And here's how a market-based cap would work:  We'd set a cap, a ceiling, on all the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that our economy is allowed to produce in total, combining the emissions from cars and trucks, coal-fired power plants, energy-intensive industries, all sources.

 

And by setting an overall cap, carbon pollution becomes like a commodity.  It places a value on a limited resource, and that is the ability to pollute.  And to determine that value, just like any other traded commodity, we'd create a market where companies could buy and sell the right to produce a certain amount of carbon pollution.  And in this way, every company can determine for itself whether it makes sense to spend the money to become cleaner or more efficient, or to spend the money on a certain amount of allowable pollution.

 

Over time, as the cap on greenhouse gases is lowered, the commodity becomes scarcer -- and the price goes up.  And year by year, companies and consumers would have greater incentive to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency as the price of the status quo became more expensive.

 

What this does is it makes wind power more economical, makes solar power more economical.  Clean energy all becomes more economical.  And by closing the carbon loophole through this kind of market-based cap, we can address in a systematic way all the facets of the energy crisis:  We lower our dependence on foreign oil, we reduce our use of fossil fuels, we promote new industries right here in America.  We set up the right incentives so that everybody is moving in the same direction towards energy independence. 

 

As he often does he closed on a hopeful note, reminding the audience that no problem can be solved by government alone, and expressing his faith that in the spirit of Earth Day Americans will also take responsibility on themselves. He discarded the argument that Washington is simply too intractable to address problems of this magnitude, as well as "the even more dangerous idea" that there simply is no solution:

 

I reject that argument.  I reject it because of what you're doing right here at Trinity; what's happening right here in Newton after folks have gone through hard times.  I reject it because of what I've seen across this country, in all the eyes of the people that I've met, in the stories that I've heard, in the factories I've visited, in the places where I've seen the future being pieced together -- test by test, trial by trial.

 

 

 

 

Today is the first Earth Day of the Obama presidency, and that carries a special significance for the White House in light of the President’s goal to create a clean energy economy that can serve as a pillar of our recovery. Green jobs were a central focus of the Recovery Act, and the President’s proposed budget will also help ensure that new industries around energy efficiency and renewables will become part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come.  Needless to say, making a big move towards energy independence is much more than a fringe benefit.

 

The President will be speaking broadly about those goals with workers at Trinity Structural Towers in Iowa, the former Maytag plant which now houses a green manufacturing facility producing wind towers.  But we also asked Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the Council on Environmental Quality, to walk us through a local player in the emerging clean energy economy, as just one example out of thousands of what the future holds:

 

 

But that’s just the beginning for the White House and federal agencies, and we will keep a running log all day as things come in. For just a few examples: Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, who testified in the Senate yesterday on green jobs training for workers, will join CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley to shine a light on the important role that women will play in our green economy at a roundtable with 35 representatives from every imaginable sector of the economy. Several members on the cabinet will also be testifying on the Hill today in special hearings. Interior Secretary Salazar, meanwhile, will turn his focus to the National Parks and nearly $750 million in investments they got to create jobs through the Recovery Act. And of course the EPA has been running their photo and video projects all month, with much more to come today.

 

Check back throughout the day.

7:41: Finishing off the day, we have the Interior Department, which was already busy celebrating National Parks Week, holding a rooftop press conference with Secretary Salazar announced an investment of $750 million in the national park system under the Recovery Act.  The Secretary also gives us this message on the connection between America's natural beauty and America's economic future:



5:43: The USDA expands on "the People's Garden": "The People's Garden is designed to provide a sampling of USDA's efforts throughout the world as well as teach others how to nurture, maintain and protect a healthy landscape. If practiced, these garden concepts can be the general public's, government's, or business' contribution to providing healthy food, air, and water for people and communities... Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan officially kicked off the Earth Day event at the Whitten Building with Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Brings Plenty who performed a traditional song and planted seeds at a ceremonial Three Sisters Garden to celebrate American Indians' contribution to American agriculture. Merrigan led volunteers and USDA staffers in planting vegetables, herbs and flowers to complete the first phase of The People's Garden."  Get more background here.

2:50: The State Department's DipNote blog is churning out Earth Day posts faster than you can read them. For just a taste, Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern talks on video about the "Focus the Nation" Clean Energy Town Halls.  The Question of the Week is posed: "How Should Western Hemisphere Nations Leverage Combined Resources To Address Shared Challenges?"  And Belinda Yong, an intern at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, claims her post is "arguably, the greenest diplomatic facility overseas of any country in the world."  Sounds like a challenge.

12:10: The President's Proclamation.

11:57: Can we still celebrate Earth Day even if we are not actually on Earth?  Yes, we can.  Also download the free NASA Earth Day, 2009 poster (6.7 MB pdf).

11:25: The Energy Department goes all-in. Firstly, just go to Energy.gov and see what you see.  Secondly, Vice President Biden announces $300 Million in Recovery Act Funds for the Clean Cities Program, an Energy Department-led pilot program to expand the nation’s fleet of clean, sustainable vehicles and the fueling infrastructure necessary to support them.  Thirdly, Secretary Chu joins Labor Secretary Solis in an op-ed run in several papers today on building the American Clean Energy Economy: "We have an enormous, urgent environmental and economic task ahead of us, and it is one that we have ignored for far too long.  If we are going to create clean energy industry jobs in this country, break the stranglehold that foreign oil has on our economy and punish the polluters who are devastating our natural resources, then we’ve got to be honest about the difficult tasks and tough choices ahead.  It’s going to mean telling the special interests that their days of dictating energy policy in this country are over.  It’s going to mean refusing to settle for the status quo and the same ineffective policies that have held us back for over 30 years, created price shocks and fostered energy dependence.  This president is committed to tackling these challenges head on to create a clean energy policy that works for all Americans, so that we can pass on to our children and grandchildren not just a stronger economy, but a cleaner planet." 

10:05: Pick 5! The EPA rolls out their feature Earth Day program with a productive idea worth clicking through for.  There are a lot of tips floating around on little things you can do in your own life to reduce your impact on the environment, but not every lifestyle tweak will fit every lifestyle.  So the EPA provides us a little focus -- take a look at their list of 10 and pick 5 that work for you.

"I'm happy to be here. I’m more happy than you can imagine," said the Vice President, a noted rail enthusiast, before introducing the President for the release of his strategic plan for high speed rail in America.  Revolving around the $8 billion in the Recovery Act and the $1 billion per year for five years requested in the President’s budget to get these projects off the ground, the President painted the picture that will become a reality as a result of these investments:

 

What we're talking about is a vision for high-speed rail in America.  Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city.  No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes.  (Laughter.)  Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination.  Imagine what a great project that would be to rebuild America.

 

Now, all of you know this is not some fanciful, pie-in-the-sky vision of the future.  It is now.  It is happening right now.  It's been happening for decades.  The problem is it's been happening elsewhere, not here. 

 

In France, high-speed rail has pulled regions from isolation, ignited growth, remade quiet towns into thriving tourist destinations.  In Spain, a high-speed line between Madrid and Seville is so successful that more people travel between those cities by rail than by car and airplane combined.  China, where service began just two years ago, may have more miles of high-speed rail service than any other country just five years from now.  And Japan, the nation that unveiled the first high-speed rail system, is already at work building the next:  a line that will connect Tokyo with Osaka at speeds of over 300 miles per hour.  So it's being done; it's just not being done here.

 

There's no reason why we can't do this.  This is America.  There's no reason why the future of travel should lie somewhere else beyond our borders.  Building a new system of high-speed rail in America will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding to an already overburdened aviation system –- and everybody stands to benefit.

 

The inclusion of high speed rail in the Recovery Act was one of many symbols of the new vision for America and its economy that guided the plan.  As the Vice President explained in his introduction, joined by Transportation Secretary LaHood, in addition to putting Americans to work across the country it went towards several the Recovery Act’s key goals:

 

And we're making a down payment today, a down payment on the economy for tomorrow, the economy that's going to drive us in the 21st century in a way that the other -- the highway system drove us in the mid-20th century.  And I'm happy to be here.  I'm more happy than you can imagine -- (laughter) -- to talk about a commitment that, with the President's leadership, we're making to achieve the goal through the development of high-speed rail projects that will extend eventually all across this nation.  And most of you know that not only means an awful lot to me, but I know a lot of you personally in this audience over the years, I know it means equally as much to you. 

 

With high-speed rail system, we're going to be able to pull people off the road, lowering our dependence on foreign oil, lowering the bill for our gas in our gas tanks.  We're going to loosen the congestion that also has great impact on productivity, I might add, the people sitting at stop lights right now in overcrowded streets and cities.  We're also going to deal with the suffocation that's taking place in our major metropolitan areas as a consequence of that congestion.  And we're going to significantly lessen the damage to our planet.  This is a giant environmental down payment. 

 

The report formalizes the identification of ten high-speed rail corridors as potential recipients of federal funding. Those lines are: California, Pacific Northwest, South Central, Gulf Coast, Chicago Hub Network, Florida, Southeast, Keystone, Empire and Northern New England. Also, opportunities exist for the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston to compete for funds to improve the nation’s only existing high-speed rail service: