[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 54 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, it's been 910 days and eight 
extensions since SAFETEA LU expired. Today we find ourselves kicking 
the can once again as we take up extension number nine because this 
House Majority has failed to act.
  Thankfully the Senate did act. Two weeks ago, Democratic and 
Republican Senators overwhelmingly voted, by a bipartisan majority of 
74 22, to generate jobs, repair our roads and bridges, invest in our 
infrastructure, and strengthen our economy. Meanwhile, this body under 
Republican leadership has yet to put forward a credible highway 
reauthorization that puts Americans back to work.
  MAP 21, the surface transportation authorization bill, passed by the 
Senate is by far the biggest jobs legislation Congress will consider 
this year.
  It is imperative that the House of Representatives join the Senate in 
passing this bipartisan bill and send it to the President before the 
March 31st expiration of highway program funding or risk devastating 
job losses across the nation.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 14 will save 1.8 million jobs and creates up to 1 
million more jobs.
  The bill also provides consistency for states and maintains current 
funding levels for highways and public transportation, consolidates and 
streamlines highway programs, and establishes a national freight 
program. This national freight program will provide over $2 billion 
dollars to upgrade our nation's goods movement system. That equates to 
$336 million to the state of California alone over two years for 
freight infrastructure upgrades. These funds are critical to areas like 
my district where over 40 percent of our country's imports arrive each 
year via the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
  In addition, the bill would authorize another $1 billion dollars in 
fiscal year 2013 for Projects of National and Regional Significance. In 
previous years, the Projects of National and Regional Significance 
provided funding to several projects that provide economic benefits by 
making it easier to move goods.
  Madam Speaker, these two programs and this bill are essential for our 
country to remain competitive globally.
  H.R. 14 also improves safety, and institutes performance measures and 
improves accountability for transportation infrastructure investments.
  Now is the time for swift action by the House action on the 
bipartisan Senate bill that will save or create 132,000 transportation 
jobs and 45,000 transit jobs in my home state of California.
  Transportation has long been a bipartisan issue--and the Senate 
continued this tradition. The House should follow suit and put America 
back to work by passing H.R. 14.
  I encourage my colleagues to stop kicking the can down the road--
start creating jobs--and defeat this extension.

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