Thank you Mr. Chairman:
Here we go again. Once again, the Republican Leadership is putting off this critical infrastructure bill just when we need the jobs it will create the most. It’s a very sad time in the House. The Republican leadership has ruined a process that used to be bipartisan, from a committee that used to be bipartisan.
We have plenty of time on the floor to address the need for one new bridge in Minnesota and we have time to transfer 30 acres of land in one individual Congressional district, but the leadership of the Transportation Committee and House of Representatives can’t find time on the Floor to debate a piece of legislation that creates and maintains million of good paying jobs for hard working Americans.
Republicans refusal to work with Democrats in crafting a transportation reauthorization bill has cost us the opportunity to deliver much needed relief to the states and to the traveling public.
The Transportation Reauthorization bill that was shoved down our throats in committee follows the Republican mantra of abolishing protective regulations, and turning everything over to the private sector so that they can turn a profit at the expense of the traveling and working public.
Certainly, at a time when our nation’s unemployment rate remains above 9 percent, an adequately funded six year surface transportation reauthorization bill is crucial. What our country needs is a Surface Transportation bill that strengthens our infrastructure, provides quality jobs, and serves as a tool to put America back on a path toward long-term economic growth, not one that drags us in the wrong direction by drastically underfunding our system.
Transportation and Infrastructure funding is absolutely critical to the nation, and, if properly funded, serves as a tremendous economic and job creator. In fact, Department of Transportation (DOT) statistics show that for every $1 billion invested in transportation infrastructure, 44,000 jobs are created, as is $6.2 billion in economic activity.
Let’s end this Republican assault on our nation’s infrastructure and the men and women who make their living maintaining and improving this system, and pass the Senate transportation bill.
We need and deserve a long term transportation bill, but the Tea Party won’t be happy until were riding horses on dirt roads again. We need to pass the Senate transportation reauthorization bill and add some sanity to this process and send a bill to the president that actually helps the travelling public and puts people to work.