[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

[[Page S562]]

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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