[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 176 (Monday, December 7, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8428-S8429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                FAST ACT

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today to applaud the tremendous 
work that has been done over the course of this year to pass a 
bipartisan, 5-year, $305 billion highway bill, the Fixing America's 
Surface Transportation Act, known as the FAST Act. Transportation 
infrastructure is an essential part of the U.S. economy. It serves as 
the foundation to support our country's economic global competitiveness 
and connects communities, people, and markets.
  Federal investment in transportation and other infrastructure has, 
unfortunately, lagged in recent decades, with public expenditures on 
infrastructure as a percentage of GDP steadily declining to its lowest 
levels in 20 years. I have consistently called for a highway bill that 
ensures steady and reliable funding for States so they can make long-
term plans for improving our crumbling infrastructure. For too long, 
stopgap measures to prop up the highway trust fund for just a few 
months at a time have failed to provide the stability necessary to grow 
our economy.
  The FAST Act comes at a critical time. This legislation will improve 
our Nation's infrastructure, make our Federal surface transportation 
programs work better for States, and address our Nation's 
infrastructure priorities by focusing on critical commerce corridors 
and emerging freight corridors as well.
  The FAST Act also makes key investments in something I am very 
passionate about, and that is the future of mobility in the United 
States. Today, the auto industry is working hand in hand with tech, 
telecom, and software companies and their partners in academia and 
Federal agencies to collaborate and contribute to the transportation 
system of the future. This future will be dominated by connected and 
autonomous vehicles--on-demand services such as ride-sharing and car-
sharing--and innovations in vehicle-to-infrastructure communications.
  Vehicle-to-infrastructure communications technologies--known as V2I--
have the potential to deliver incredible safety, mobility, 
environmental, and operational benefits to the driving public. For 
example, V2I technologies will allow bridges that are icing up to be 
able to communicate directly with an automobile before it gets to the 
bridge and, as a result, will prevent an accident before it even 
occurs. Today, stakeholders are working to develop and test V2I 
technologies, and widespread deployment is expected in the coming 
years.
  We have to make sure the States are making plans for their future in 
V2I technologies. That is why I introduced

[[Page S8429]]

legislation earlier this year with Senators Stabenow and Blunt that 
promotes investment in vehicle-to-infrastructure technology by 
authorizing States to use existing surface and highway transportation 
funding to invest in V2I projects as they upgrade their highway 
infrastructure. It is called the Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Safety 
Technology Investment Flexibility Act of 2015, and today I am proud to 
say this legislation passed as part of the FAST Act.
  My vehicle-to-infrastructure provision and the broader bill's other 
major investments in research and development represent the type of 
forward-thinking policymaking on which Congress should be focused. By 
committing now to help usher in the future of mobility and by providing 
the funding and time to execute these programs, we have the ability to 
transform our society for the better.
  The FAST Act also contains several provisions to improve rail safety 
in the United States. I am pleased that legislation I authored, in the 
wake of the devastating Amtrak No. 188 crash earlier this year in 
Philadelphia that unfortunately took the lives of 8 people and injured 
over 200, was included in the FAST Act. My provision requires the 
Department of Transportation, Amtrak, and the National Transportation 
Safety Board to conduct a post-accident assessment of the Amtrak No. 
188 crash to determine if Amtrak followed its emergency preparedness 
and family assistance response plans and to determine if and how these 
plans can be improved for the future.
  Finally, the FAST Act reauthorizes the Export-Import Bank. Since the 
beginning of July, the jobs supported by the Ex-Im Bank have been 
unnecessarily jeopardized. The Ex-Im Bank helps level the playing field 
for American companies in a tough global market. Last year it supported 
more than $27.4 billion in U.S. exports and 164,000 jobs. More than $10 
billion of that total--nearly 40 percent--represented exports by small 
businesses, and 90 percent of its overall transactions directly 
supported small businesses, including many that serve as suppliers for 
large companies.
  In Michigan, for example, the Ex-Im Bank has supported 229 exporter 
businesses selling $11 billion worth of goods to places such as Saudi 
Arabia, Mexico, and Canada. This support is particularly important for 
our manufacturing industry, and the majority of Michigan exporters 
using Ex-Im Bank are manufacturers of motor vehicles and parts, 
machinery and chemicals--basically the backbone of Michigan's economy.
  I am proud to see that with the FAST Act's passage, we can get back 
to the business of doing what makes sense for the economy and for jobs 
in America.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, while my colleague from Michigan is here, 
let me say that we appreciate so much his participation in the commerce 
committee, especially the expertise he brings to the table with regard 
to all things automotive since, in fact, his State is the automotive 
State. He is a valued member of our commerce committee. I thank the 
Senator from Michigan.

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