[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 4 (Monday, January 8, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E8-E9]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             INTRODUCTION OF THE BUILD AMERICA ACT OF 2018

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 8, 2018

  Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Build 
America Act of 2018, legislation that will significantly increase the 
size and scope of two very successful merit-based infrastructure grant 
programs without adding a penny to the national debt. Specifically, 
this legislation would remove the Capital Investment Grant Program 
(CIG), also known as New Starts/Small Starts, and the Transportation 
Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant Program (TIGER Grants) 
from the annual appropriations process, establishing them as mandatory 
programs with permanent and expanded funding. My bill proposes to 
increase TIGER funding to $3 billion

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annually, and to increase CIG funding to $9 billion.
  These grants have helped local communities prioritize their own 
projects; however they have been chronically underfunded in the past. 
For instance, since 2009, Congress has dedicated nearly $5.1 billion 
for eight rounds of TIGER funding, yet the program received $10.1 
billion in applications in FY2015 alone. The process is competitive, 
and allows the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reward 
applicants that exceed eligibility criteria and demonstrate significant 
non-Federal funding commitments.
  By increasing these funding levels and removing the programs from the 
annual appropriations process, we will take the guesswork and 
uncertainty out of the programs. This in turn will allow communities 
around the country to submit funding requests for merit-based awards 
for projects of national, regional, or metropolitan-area significance. 
The projects include construction and repair of roads, bridges, and 
tunnels, the installation of high speed internet, revitalization of 
drinking water, and the construction and expansion of fixed-guideway 
public transportation systems, including subways, light rail, commuter 
rail, and bus rapid transit (BRT).
  Mr Speaker, we have talked about prioritizing a large-scale 
infrastructure package for years. Congressional Democrats recently 
unveiled a trillion-dollar plan to make these investments and create 
tens of thousands of jobs. However, like so many other proposals, it 
was rejected out of hand by the Majority. Despite controlling the 
House, the Senate, and the White House, the Majority has not yet 
offered any plan of their own. All the while, the situation continues 
to grow worse.
  Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers' issues a 
``Report Card'' for America's Infrastructure. The report depicts the 
condition and performance of American infrastructure, assigning letter 
grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for 
improvement across 16 major infrastructure categories. The most recent 
report card was issued last year. Among the national rankings, transit 
systems were rated a D- and roads were rated a D.
  Dams: D.
  Drinking water: D.
  Inland waterways: D.
  Levees: D.
  We need to move this process forward. I am therefore proud to offer 
my own legislation today--not for a massive, all-encompassing 
infrastructure package--but rather, for a common sense expansion of 
successful programs based on need and merit. I urge my colleagues to 
consider it without delay, so that our country can begin making the 
investments it desperately needs.

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