[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 7, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5108-H5109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MAKE THE INVESTMENT OUR ECONOMY NEEDS
(Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute.)
Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, the financial research firm of Standard &
Poor's reports that for every $1.3 billion invested in our
infrastructure, 30,000 American jobs are created; it adds $2 billion in
economic growth; and reduces deficit by more than $200 million.
Economists at the Council on Foreign Relations explained that ``the
compelling case is that a dollar in on a macro basis in our economy
results in more than a dollar out;'' which is to say, Mr. Speaker, that
to shortchange infrastructure is to reject and undermine economic
growth in this country.
Policies that create growth and reduce the deficit should be embraced
by everybody, including conservatives. Indeed, it was the Republican
President Eisenhower who initiated the National Highway System, and the
Chamber of Commerce is a leading voice in calling for infrastructure
spending today.
I urge this body to embrace sound economics and the tradition of
bipartisan
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support for infrastructure spending, and make the investment that our
Nation needs to nation-build, not in Afghanistan, not in Iraq, but
right here at home in America.
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