[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    INTRODUCTION OF H. RES. 313, SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF 
                       NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 2009

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I introduce H. Res. 313, supporting the 
goals and ideals of National Public Works Week, and for other purposes. 
National Public Works Week is celebrated for a full week each May to 
celebrate our public works professionals and the important work that 
they do to keep our country running smoothly.
  May 17 through May 23, 2009 will recognize the many duties that 
public works professionals--those who design, build, operate, maintain 
and protect transportation systems, water supply infrastructure, sewage 
and refuse disposal systems, public buildings, and other structures and 
facilities--perform to enhance communities and our nation.
  Public works keep our society functioning: providing buildings that 
house vital government offices, and giving our country rail, highways, 
airports, and public transit to move goods and passengers.
  Similarly, public works help maintain public health: providing 
systems for waste and sewage disposal, while supplying us with crucial 
water for our homes, businesses, and agriculture. Pipelines safely 
transport natural gas and hazardous liquids through 2,300,000 miles of 
pipelines throughout the country.
  Many people take for granted our public works, recognizing their 
importance only when problems are encountered. When water supply is not 
efficient, when infrastructure crumbles, and when accidents in moving 
transportation occur, we are then forced to reflect on what needs to be 
invested in the larger public works sector of our economy.
  The ``2006 Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and Transit: 
Conditions and Performance'' report by the Department of Transportation 
confirms that investment in the Nation's highway, bridge, and transit 
infrastructure has not kept up with the growing demands of the system.
  The 111th Congress has worked to aggressively address our critical 
transportation and infrastructure needs. In February, Congress enacted 
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) 
(``Recovery Act''), which provides $64.1 billion of infrastructure 
investment to enhance the safety, security, and efficiency of our 
highway, transit, rail, aviation, environmental, inland waterways, 
public buildings, and maritime transportation infrastructure. The $64.1 
billion of Federal transportation and infrastructure investment will 
create or sustain more than 1.8 million jobs and $323 billion of 
economic activity.
  In addition, in March, the House passed H.R. 1262, the ``Water 
Quality Investment Act of 2009''. H.R. 1262 significantly increases 
funding for capitalization grants to States for state water pollution 
control revolving funds, grants for alternative water source projects 
to meet critical water supply needs, grants to municipalities and 
States to control combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer 
overflows, and grants for projects to remediate contaminated sediment 
in the Great Lakes areas of concern. The bill also provides a uniform, 
national standard for monitoring, reporting, and public notification of 
municipal combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows.
  I strongly support investment in our Nation's infrastructure, as well 
as the men and women who keep our public works, quite simply, working.

                          ____________________