[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H4590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  INVEST IN NATION BUILDING IN AMERICA

  (Mr. HIGGINS of New York asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, there are 54,000 structurally 
deficient bridges in America. Every second of every day, seven cars 
drive on a bridge that is structurally deficient.
  Earlier this month, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued 
a report finding that our broken sewer systems are dumping billions of 
gallons of sewage into our lakes and rivers.
  The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the Nation a D rating 
when it comes to infrastructure and estimates that it will cost $2 
trillion just to bring our infrastructure to a state of good repair.
  Mr. Speaker, a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan over 5 years would 
create 34.5 million jobs, and infrastructure pays for itself with $1.60 
of new economic growth for every dollar invested: this, according to 
the Congressional Budget Office. That is 6.9 million jobs each of the 
next 5 years and 575,000 jobs each month for the next 60 months.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time that we get out of Iraq and Afghanistan and 
invest in nation building in America, with American workers and for the 
American people.

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