[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1125 Reported in House (RH)]
House Calendar No. 173
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1125
[Report No. 111-440]
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
March 12, 2010
Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
House Calendar No. 173
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1125
[Report No. 111-440]
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
March 12, 2010
Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed