[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 7, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H52]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, there is always a great deal of 
excitement surrounding a new Congress and a new year. One area that has 
been very encouraging is the focus on rebuilding and renewing America. 
That was where we left off in the last Congress, frustrated by an 
inability to produce a 6-year reauthorization, largely because of an 
inability for Congress to address meaningfully how it would be funded. 
This continues a struggle of almost two decades, as we have not 
increased the gas tax or developed a viable, sustainable, adequate 
alternative.
  It is widely recognized that America is falling apart and falling 
behind. Our infrastructure, once the envy of the world, now has put us 
at a second-tier status, with America at risk of falling ever further 
behind.
  The deplorable state of our infrastructure is actually costing 
Americans far more to endure the damage to their cars and the delays to 
their lives through congestion than simply funding an alternative and 
fixing it.
  It is encouraging that the administration and people in both parties, 
in both Chambers, might be prepared to address the issue anew. There 
are some short-term stopgap solutions which would nowhere near solve 
the problem but nudge us in the right direction.
  In the Senate there is bipartisan interest in and openness to a 
comprehensive solution including the gas tax. Senators Bob Corker and 
his partner Chris Murphy have been champions. Senator Tom Carper 
continues his leadership and advocacy for the gas tax solution. Senator 
John Thune, a key Republican leader, has signaled his openness to the 
gas tax, which is the simplest, most logical, and most effective 
solution.
  Even the problematic proposal to use dynamic scoring to evaluate 
budget proposals could make a difference for the prospect of solving 
this huge problem for America if it would be applied in the spirit of 
dynamic scoring.
  The Standard & Poor's research report, ``U.S. Infrastructure 
Investment: A Chance to Reap More Than We Sow,'' pointed out the 
overwhelming economic impact in terms of jobs created, economic 
benefits that actually exceeded the direct amount invested, and long-
term deficit reduction of $200 million for every $1.2 billion invested. 
This should be one of the easiest economic decisions we ever make.
  In an era of low interest rates, gasoline prices falling 
dramatically, when there are still hundreds of thousands of people 
ready to go to work at family wage jobs rebuilding this country, the 
economic case has never been stronger.
  By all means, let's evaluate all of the proposals. Let's expand the 
discussion. Let's look at the leadership of States around the country 
that are stepping up to do their part. State, local, and private 
investment all have a role to play, to be sure, but recognize that the 
25 percent of infrastructure funding that comes from the Federal 
Government plays a critical role. Let this Congress give America a 
solution that is sustainable, not one that would put us back in the 
same fix in a year or two or even sooner.
  Let's have a revenue source that is dedicated so that we can begin on 
longer-term projects that demand multimodal, multistate, multiyear 
solutions and that is large enough to give us a long overdue 6-year 
comprehensive reauthorization. Stable, dedicated, big enough to do the 
job--this is a test that the new Congress and administration should 
meet to revitalize our economy and rebuild and renew this great 
country.
  At a time of dramatically falling oil and gas prices, when the public 
is suffering from Congress dithering on our transportation and other 
infrastructure needs, there will never be a better time to heed the 
advice of President Ronald Reagan 33 years ago in his Thanksgiving Day 
radio address to the country to raise the gas tax and put Americans to 
work fixing the problem that has only gotten worse. It was good advice 
then. It is good advice today.

                          ____________________