[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1125 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1125

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 2, 2010

 Mr. Perriello (for himself, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Costello, 
Ms. Norton, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of 
 Texas, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Carney, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Hare, 
 Mr. Holden, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Richardson, Mr. Sires, Mr. Capuano, 
   Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Filner, and Ms. Titus) submitted the 
     following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week, and for 
                            other purposes.

Whereas public works infrastructure, facilities, and services have far-reaching 
        effects on the United States economy and the competitiveness of the 
        United States in the world marketplace;
Whereas public works infrastructure, facilities, and services play a pivotal 
        role in the health, safety, and quality of life of communities 
        throughout the United States;
Whereas public works infrastructure, facilities, and services could not be 
        provided without the skill and dedication of public works professionals, 
        including engineers and administrators, representing State and local 
        governments throughout the United States;
Whereas public works professionals design, build, operate, maintain, and protect 
        the transportation systems, water supply infrastructure, sewage and 
        refuse disposal systems, public buildings, and other structures and 
        facilities that are vital to the citizens, communities, and commerce of 
        the United States;
Whereas the Corps of Engineers, in partnership with public port authorities, 
        provides navigational improvements that link United States producers and 
        customers with national and international markets;
Whereas the public waterways, including locks and dams constructed, operated, 
        and maintained by the Corps of Engineers, provide a safe, energy-
        efficient, and cost-effective means of transporting goods and services;
Whereas the Corps of Engineers, in partnership with local public entities, 
        provides levees, reservoirs, and other structural and nonstructural 
        flood damage reduction measures that protect millions of families, 
        homes, and businesses;
Whereas a recent analysis of the state of the infrastructure of the United 
        States garnered an overall grade of ``D'';
Whereas every $1 invested in public transportation generates as much as $6 in 
        economic returns to the economy of the United States;
Whereas the public transportation systems of the United States experienced 
        record ridership levels in 2008, the last full year for which data is 
        available, with 10,680,000,000 passenger trips taken;
Whereas, in the ``2008 Conditions & Performance'' report of the Department of 
        Transportation, the Department confirms that investment in United States 
        highway, bridge, and transit infrastructure has not kept up with growing 
        demands;
Whereas, in the ``2008 Conditions & Performance'' report of the Department of 
        Transportation, the Department found that an additional $27,000,000,000 
        per year in capital investments is needed to sustain highway conditions 
        and performance and an additional $96,000,000,000 per year in capital 
        investments is needed to make cost-effective highway improvements and 
        eliminate the existing bridge maintenance backlog;
Whereas capital expenditures in highways, bridges, and public transportation 
        from all levels of government and the private sector are over 
        $91,450,000,000 annually;
Whereas the capital asset program of the General Services Administration is 
        authorized annually to provide Federal employees with necessary office 
        space, courts of law, and other special purpose facilities;
Whereas, since 1972, the United States has invested more than $300,000,000,000 
        in wastewater infrastructure facilities to establish a system that 
        includes 16,000 publicly owned wastewater treatment plants, 100,000 
        major pumping stations, 600,000 miles of sanitary sewers, and 200,000 
        miles of storm sewers;
Whereas the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is charged 
        with the safe and secure movement of almost 1,200,000 daily shipments of 
        hazardous materials by all modes of transportation and oversees the 
        safety and security of 2,300,000 miles of gas and hazardous liquid 
        pipelines, which account for 64 percent of the energy commodities 
        consumed in the United States;
Whereas the National Railroad Passenger Corporation annually provides more than 
        27,100,000 people with intercity rail service;
Whereas the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission 
        estimates that the total capital cost of reestablishing the national 
        intercity passenger rail network by 2050 is approximately 
        $357,200,000,000 (or $8,100,000,000 annually for the next 40 years);
Whereas 21 airfield projects have opened at 18 of the 35 busiest airports in the 
        United States since fiscal year 2000, including 15 runways, 3 taxiways, 
        one runway extension, one completed airfield reconfiguration, and one 
        airfield reconfiguration that is two-thirds completed, and these 
        airfield projects have provided the airports with the potential to 
        accommodate 1,900,000 additional airfield operations each year and 
        decrease average delay per operation by approximately 5 minutes;
Whereas 3 airports have airfield projects under construction, and an additional 
        airport will begin construction this fiscal year, and these 4 airfield 
        projects will provide the airports with the potential to accommodate an 
        additional 110,900 airfield operations each year and decrease average 
        delay per operation by approximately 1.5 minutes;
Whereas transparency and accountability information relating to the American 
        Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) demonstrates 
        successful implementation of highway, transit, and wastewater 
        investments under the Act;
Whereas $30,000,000,000, or 79 percent of the $38,200,000,000 provided for 
        highway, transit, and wastewater infrastructure formula programs under 
        the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), 
        has been put out to bid on 14,063 projects as of December 31, 2009;
Whereas, across the United States, as a result of the American Recovery and 
        Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) work has begun on 10,348 
        projects totaling $22,800,000,000, or 60 percent of the total available 
        for highway, transit, and wastewater infrastructure formula programs 
        under the Act;
Whereas the 10,348 highway, transit, and wastewater infrastructure projects on 
        which work has begun have created or sustained approximately 300,000 
        direct jobs as of December 31, 2009;
Whereas total employment from the 10,348 highway, transit, and wastewater 
        infrastructure projects on which work has begun, which includes direct, 
        indirect, and induced jobs, totals more than 938,000 jobs;
Whereas direct job creation from highway, transit, and wastewater infrastructure 
        projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 
        (Public Law 111-5) has resulted in payroll expenditures of 
        $1,500,000,000; and
Whereas public works professionals are observing National Public Works Week from 
        May 16 through 22, 2010: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Public Works 
        Week;
            (2) recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of 
        National Public Works Week; and
            (3) urges citizens and communities throughout the United 
        States to join with representatives of the Federal Government 
        in activities and ceremonies that are designed to pay tribute 
        to the public works professionals of the United States and to 
        recognize the substantial contributions that public works 
        professionals make to the United States.
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