[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 13, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H2891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1230
CALLING FOR A LONG-TERM TRANSPORTATION FUNDING BILL TO FIX OUR NATION'S
INFRASTRUCTURE
(Ms. HAHN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate national Infrastructure Week
here in this country, I urge my colleagues across the aisle to work
with us to develop a sensible, long-term solution to fix this trust
fund and put an end to our infrastructure crisis.
We need reliable roads, highways, and bridges to keep our economy
moving, and for almost 60 years we have depended on the highway trust
fund to make necessary repairs to our Nation's deteriorating
infrastructure. However, the gas tax hasn't been raised in 20 years and
no longer generates enough revenue to meet our needs.
The highway trust fund faces a serious and immediate funding
shortage. The deadline to fix this is just weeks away--just 6
legislative days. So unless we act now, construction projects across
the country will come to a standstill, putting the jobs of 600,000
American workers on the line. Paving our highways and keeping our
bridges safe and reliable is one of the most basic jobs of Congress. We
have until May 31 to figure this out. Failing is not an option.
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