[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 23, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             SHORT-TERM EXTENSION OF TRANSPORTATION FUNDING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 23, 2014

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Highway and 
Transportation Funding Act. There are few issues that have united such 
a diverse group of constituents as the need to maintain funding for 
federal transportation programs. Construction projects serve as a 
strong form of economic stimulus not just in Oregon, but across the 
country. From the workers who build our roads to the companies who use 
them to transport their goods, many of our constituents have emphasized 
their concern about the pending depletion of the Highway Trust Fund. 
Those constituents are frustrated and don't understand why Congress 
can't act to support such a clear national priority as the need for 
safe and reliable transportation infrastructure.
   Although I do plan to support the Highway and Transportation Funding 
Act, this 8-month fix is far too short. We must develop a long-term 
solution to the fund's insolvency. I, and many like me in Congress, 
voted to support today's short-term legislation because it protects 
funding for current construction projects and current jobs. But we do 
so knowing that more comprehensive, substantive action is needed to 
ensure that projects in 2015 and beyond are not in jeopardy. In Oregon, 
we recently received notice from the state's Department of 
Transportation that eliminating funding in 2015 would cost our state 
roughly $470 million in transportation funding and would reduce the 
construction workforce by an estimated 4,700 jobs.
   Passing a temporary fix to the Highway Trust Fund creates 
uncertainty among states, local governments, and contractors, all of 
whom may be less likely to take on new projects and in turn less likely 
to hire workers. Not only does the uncertainty hurt our constituents 
who work in the industry and the long-term transportation planning 
undertaken by state and local governments, it also hurts our economic 
competitiveness. When groups like the America Society of Civil 
Engineers give our infrastructure a near failing grade of D+, as they 
did in their 2013 scorecard, companies considering relocating their 
business operations to the United States may think twice. This is an 
unacceptable situation.
   With an economy still working to regain its full strength, another 
short-term fix is an economic risk we should not take. Millions of 
people rely on our roads, bridges, and ground transportation to get to 
work and transport goods. Businesses in Oregon increasingly raise 
concerns about the ability of our freight infrastructure to support the 
high volume of goods they are transporting to market. This legislation 
represents the bare minimum we can do. Our constituents deserve a more 
comprehensive, long-term solution so that our infrastructure can 
support a growing and thriving economy.
   Therefore, I will vote yes on this legislation with caution, and I 
urge my colleagues to take a long-term look at the need to stabilize 
our transportation funding source.

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