[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 26 (Monday, February 25, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INVESTING IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
(Mr. PETERS of California asked and was given permission to address
the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. PETERS of California. Mr. Speaker, many will be hurt by the
sequester, but San Diego will be hurt in particular. Today, I'm here to
urge Congress to work together to find a bipartisan solution to
sequestration.
The Port of San Diego is our window to national and international
commerce, as well as a main driver of our economy. The Port of San
Diego is the fourth largest port in California, and one of 17
commercial strategic ports in America, overseeing two maritime cargo
terminals, two cruise ship terminals, and hundreds of maritime leases
to small businesses.
Since 2001, the port has received almost $22 million in Federal
funding for critical infrastructure projects, which has allowed the
port to hire more San Diegans and boost San Diego's economy. The
American Society of Engineers found that with an additional investment
of $15.8 billion between now and 2020, our national system of ports
could provide $270 billion in U.S. exports and $697 billion in GDP.
Now is not the time to be cutting critical investments in our
infrastructure. Let's work together to find a solution.
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