[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 23 (Monday, February 13, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S561-S562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE HIGHWAY BILL
Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, I rise to address legislation we hope
will soon be pending on the floor of the Senate, the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act, better known as the highway bill.
This bill is dedicated to rebuilding both our highway and
transportation system. It is a critical downpayment on both America's
economic recovery and our long-term economic success.
Infrastructure is a doubly effective investment. First, in the short
term, infrastructure projects create much needed jobs, particularly now
when the construction industry is flat on its back. It is one of the
hardest hit sectors in this downturn. So rebuilding and repairing our
crumbling roads and bridges is one of the best actions we can take to
create jobs.
Second, infrastructure investment supports jobs in the long term.
Think of how many businesses in this country rely on America's
infrastructure to move their goods to consumers-- businesses in every
State of our Nation, from our most rural communities to our largest
cities; small businesses, the largest corporations, and everything in
between.
Creating the infrastructure that gives these businesses the tools
they need to grow is an essential ingredient for future job growth.
Yet, over the past generation, our commitment to infrastructure funding
at the Federal level has not reflected its role as a key to our
competitiveness.
China is spending 10 percent of its gross domestic product on
infrastructure. Europe is spending 5 percent of its GDP on
infrastructure. The number here in America is 2 percent--barely enough
to keep our roads and transit systems in repair. There are those here
in Washington pushing to cut the investment even further.
This is not a recipe for success in the 21st century, nor should this
be a partisan issue. When I go home to Oregon I hear from businesses,
large to small, from liberal to conservative, telling me that this
transportation bill is a good investment in our future. Likewise, more
than 1,000 organizations ranging from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to
labor groups to local governments have urged Congress to act without
delay and pass this highway bill. It is time for Congress to recognize,
as our constituents do, that if we want jobs, if we want growth, if we
want competitiveness, this is one of the best investments we can make.
I am very pleased that the committee responsible for this, the
Environment and Public Works Committee, was able to pass a strong bill,
and it is going to be merged with work done by three other committees,
in all cases with bipartisan votes, and they will bring this bill to
the floor with significant support on both sides of the aisle. But our
work is not going to be done until we pass this bill through this
Chamber, until we pass this bill through the House, and until we put it
on the President's desk.
This bill is a downpayment on the next phase of our economic growth.
It puts construction workers back on the job, creating 1.8 million jobs
over the next 2 years. That is a sizable number--1.8 million jobs. That
will make a huge difference to construction workers who are still
struggling with an unemployment rate of 18 percent--more than twice the
national average.
Second, this bill gives States the flexibility to direct more of
their own funds, putting more power in the hands of local communities
to decide what their most important transportation priorities are.
Finally, it is an investment in the 21st century system that will
move us all forward.
Of course, there are always ways that a bill can be stronger, and I
will work with my colleagues to bring a number of amendments to the
floor. There are, for example, several loopholes in the ``Buy
American'' provisions that we should fix. We already recognize in
current law that if we are spending taxpayer dollars to buy materials
for American infrastructure projects, it makes no sense to shift those
dollars overseas when they could stay in our economy and support growth
and jobs right here. All highway and transit projects have requirements
to use American-made materials for public infrastructure and transit.
But two specific loopholes have enabled States to buy Chinese steel
instead of American steel and shift jobs out of the country. First, we
should close the freight rail loophole in our ``Buy American'' laws.
The industrial might of this Nation was built on American railroads,
made from American steel. As we update and improve that freight rail
system, it is only right that those bridges and tracks continue to be
made in America.
This summer, construction of a rail bridge in Alaska to a military
base was awarded to a Chinese company because the Federal Rail
Administration, unlike the Federal Transit and Federal Highway
Administrations, doesn't have any ``Buy American'' provision. An
American company was ready to build this bridge but because of this
loophole, the contract went to a Chinese company using Chinese steel,
paid for with American tax dollars. That is a huge mistake. Let's shut
that loophole.
Second, we should close the segmentation loophole. This loophole
allows projects to be split into little pieces in order to bypass the
requirement for American-made materials. The Bay Bridge in California
was split into nine separate projects instead of one bridge project so
that Federal funds and, therefore, ``Buy American'' provisions would
only apply to two out of the nine projects. This allowed the bulk of
the bridge to be built with Chinese steel and Chinese workers, with
American tax dollars. That is a mistake. Even Republican Members of the
House know that is a mistake. They have put forward an amendment to
close this loophole. Let's close this loophole as well on the Senate
side.
In addition to closing these two loopholes, we need to strengthen the
bike and pedestrian provisions in this bill. Bike and pedestrian
systems are essential components in an integrated transportation
system, reducing congestion and reducing pollution in a highly cost-
effective manner. With gas prices on the rise, many families are
looking for increased opportunities to get around on their bikes and on
foot. In many
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communities around the Nation such as Portland and Eugene in my home
State of Oregon, and many other cities in Oregon, biking and walking
have become a way of life, with families commuting, running errands,
and getting around town. When they are able to do that, they decrease
the load on the highway system. They reduce the congestion. They reduce
the pollution. It is a win-win at every level.
But Federal funding has not kept up with this shift. Just as traffic
lights and highway lanes are necessary to make our roads safer and
faster for drivers, pedestrians and bikers need basic infrastructure to
make their trips safe and efficient. Yet there is no dedicated Federal
funding stream for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. This is a
growing demand in many communities and States. Despite the fact of
decreasing congestion on the roads, it is one of the most cost-
effective strategies we could possibly follow. Biking and walking
infrastructure costs little, but it has a big bang for the buck. In
Portland 2 percent of the city's transportation dollars were spent on
biking and walking, but the percentage of commuters traveling by bike
went up 140 percent. Imagine if all those bikers were in cars by
themselves, as are so many of us who drive to work. Congestion in
Portland would have increased instead of staying constant over a 10-
year period as it has.
I am supporting an amendment that will retain the current level of
funding at 2 percent for bike and pedestrian projects, and I encourage
my colleagues to be smart with the Federal dollar and support this
amendment.
This bill--the broader highway bill--is a critical investment in our
short-term and long-term economic success. Over the next 2 years, it
will provide an immediate boost to a struggling construction industry,
creating jobs where they are needed most. And over the next generation,
it will act as the downpayment we need on infrastructure for our
businesses to grow and prosper in the 21st century.
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to continue to build
support around this bill; indeed, to get this bill to the floor for
consideration. While there are some in this Chamber who want to fight
social battles by putting unrelated amendments up, there are millions
of Americans in need of jobs, there is an infrastructure that needs to
be rebuilt, and there are citizens who want us to put aside the games
and do the work here so they can do the work back at home.
I yield the floor.
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