[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H303-H304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for 5 minutes.
Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, a strong, safe, reliable, and efficient
infrastructure system is vital for robust and sustained economic
growth. Comprehensive infrastructure reform is all-inclusive and
requires an ongoing investment by the Federal Government in not just
our roads and bridges but in all of the vital systems that support our
way of life.
Currently, the United States needs around $3.6 trillion in
infrastructure investment by 2020, just to keep our country in a state
of good repair. By contrast, China, perhaps our greatest international
rival, spends nearly four times of its GDP on infrastructure than we do
and announced nearly a trillion dollars more infrastructure spending
just last year.
Put simply, our national infrastructure system is an embarrassment,
earning a D-plus grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers. It
is a threat to our economy, to American jobs, to our national security,
and to our environment.
We need a public transportation system that gets people where they
need to be, keeps our roads clear, and makes our cities better places
to live. We need a freight system that moves products and raw materials
quickly, safely, and efficiently. We need airways that reliably move
people and cargo around the country and the world in a timely manner.
We need river locks and ports that allow American farmers to ship their
products to market, no matter where that is. We need water pipes and
sewers that transport safe, clean water to every American. And we need
to close the broadband gap so that every American can take advantage of
the opportunities the Internet provides.
Investing in America's infrastructure is good politics, good
economics, and the right thing to do. Each year, Americans take around
11 billion trips on public transportation systems like buses, commuter
rail, and light rail, contributing to the $58 billion industry that
employs nearly half a million people. And yet, almost half of our
Nation's buses and a quarter of our rail assets are in marginal or poor
condition.
My city of Chicago is the crossroads for the Nation's freight system,
and each day more than 54 million tons of freight is moved across the
U.S., and nearly a quarter of it passes through the Chicago city
limits--at times, very slowly.
We stand to lose $1 trillion a year in lost sales in 2020, if we fail
to build out our freight infrastructure to keep pace with future
growth.
Congestion is also an issue at our Nation's airports. Ground delays
are becoming a greater challenge as more and more people fly regularly.
These delays can have a very serious consequence, resulting in
passengers being late to their destinations, lost productivity from
cargo sitting on runways, and increased pollution due to needlessly
burning jet fuel.
In addition to air and ground, we must also talk about our waterways.
Each year millions of tons of material traverse inland waterways like
the Mississippi River and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. But, according to
the Army Corps of Engineers, there is a billion dollar maintenance
backlog that threatens to keep our waterways from maintaining adequate
levels of performance.
There are problems in our water and sewer systems, too. The 240,000
water main breaks that occur in this country each year cost us more
than $2.6 billion; not to mention the lost productivity caused by
closed roads, lost water, and other indirect impacts. Nearly all of the
U.S. underground water pipes will reach or surpass their useful
lifespans in the next decade. The longer we wait, the higher the price
tag will become.
Finally, we can use our infrastructure system to promote economic
growth and economic equality, and one great way to do that is to close
the broadband gap and increase access to high-speed Internet. As many
as 50 million Americans live in areas without the ability to get high-
quality and useful Internet access. Extending the ability to get online
benefits businesses, employees, students, and everyone else without
this vital utility, all while spurring economic activities that ripple
throughout the economy.
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The benefits of smart investment and infrastructure are massive.
Every billion spent in infrastructure creates 13,000 jobs, in addition
to improving the efficiency of the system. And every dollar invested
generates almost $3 in economic activity.
Conversely, the consequences of failing to act are dire. Each
American household stands to lose $3,400 per year in disposable income
thanks to infrastructure deficiencies. That is money taken directly
from our constituents' pockets, money they would use to support
themselves and their families, not to mention the economy as a whole,
which could lose more than $4 trillion in GDP and more than 2.5 million
jobs by 2025.
We owe it to each other and every one of our constituents to act. I
urge the 115th Congress to prioritize infrastructure spending and pass
a comprehensive package that addresses all aspects of the connected
infrastructure system.
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