[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 20 (Monday, February 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E172-E173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 28, 2009

       The House in Committee of the whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) making 
     supplemental appropriations for job preservation and 
     creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and 
     science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local 
     fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 
     2009, and for other purposes:

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of Nadler, DeFazio, 
Lipinski, McMahon, Ellison Amendment to the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act. This amendment would increase the overall capital 
transit funding in H.R. 1 to $12 billion by adding an additional $1.5 
billion to the Rail Modernization formula program and an additional 
$1.5 billion to the transit New Starts program.
  According to the American Public Transportation Association, the $12 
billion provided by

[[Page E173]]

this bill could help to fund 736 worthy, needed, and fully-screened 
transit projects that could be started in less than 90 days. Increasing 
funding for capital transit systems will help states to create new jobs 
quickly, the precise goal that H.R. 1 seeks to accomplish.
  Additionally, this funding will help local transit agencies meet 
increased demand for public transit nationwide. In the first half of 
2008, demand for public transit rose 4.4 percent over the record highs 
of 2007. In New Jersey, NJ Transit is providing more than 900,000 
weekday trips on its trains, buses and light-rail vehicles. Public 
transit agencies are struggling to keep up with demand, and many of 
them are considering raising their fares in order to afford necessary 
improvements to their facilities. This amendment would provide this 
much needed funding to keep public transportation moving and 
affordable.
  Supporting public transportation, especially passenger rail, should 
be a central element of our national strategy to slow the rate of 
global climate change and reduce our dependence on foreign fuels. 
Passenger rail consumes 21 percent less energy per passenger mile than 
automobiles and 17 percent less than airplanes. It releases half the 
amount of greenhouse gases per passenger mile as either air or car 
travel. Public transportation is an essential component of easing 
traffic congestion, reducing wear and tear on roads, protecting our 
environment, and preserving open space in New Jersey and across the 
country.
  This amendment will create jobs, protect our environment, and aid 
struggling public transit agencies, and I urge my colleagues to support 
it.

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