[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S200-S201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Cortez 
        Masto, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Smith, Mr. Booker, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. 
        Murphy, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Whitehouse, 
        Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Casey, Mr. Durbin, 
        Ms. Warren, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. 
        Heinrich, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Coons, and Ms. Stabenow):
  S. 96. A bill to provide for the long-term improvement of public 
school facilities, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, among the many barriers to safely bringing 
students, teachers, and staff back to school for in-person instruction 
is the condition of school facilities. A recent Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) report found that over half (54 percent) of 
school districts nationwide need to update or replace multiple systems 
in their schools, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning 
(HVAC), or plumbing. These systems are especially critical to 
safeguarding public health as we combat COVID-19.
  Now is the time to invest in school infrastructure. Doing so will 
improve the resilience of our schools, improve student learning, reduce 
carbon emissions, and create jobs. That is why I am proud to partner 
with Chairman Scott in the House of Representatives in introducing the 
Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act to fix our schools. I would 
like to thank my Senate colleagues who are joining in this effort, 
including Senators Brown, Booker, Cardin, Cortez Masto, Whitehouse, 
Merkley, Hirono, Gillibrand, Van Hollen, Rosen, Smith, Murphy, Shaheen, 
Klobuchar, Lujan, Casey, Durbin, Warren, Blumenthal, Hassan, Heinrich, 
Duckworth, Coons, Leahy, and Stabenow.
  Public schools play a vital role in every community across the 
Nation. They play a central role in our democracy--educating the next 
generation, serving as polling places for our elections, hosting 
community meetings and events, and so much more. When there is a 
natural disaster or an emergency, people often gather at their public 
schools for shelter, information, and resources. They are essential 
facilities and must be included in any new major federal investment in 
infrastructure.
  Safe, healthy, modern, well-equipped schools are also essential for 
advancing student achievement and ensuring that the next generation is 
prepared to meet the economic, social, environmental, and global 
challenges our Nation faces. Yet, too many of the over 50 million 
students and six million staff who learn and work in our public schools 
spend their days in facilities that fail to make the grade. In fact, 
the American Society of Civil Engineers gave public school buildings 
across the country an overall grade of D+ in its latest report card. 
The 2016 State of Our Schools report found that state and local 
governments spend $46 billion less than what is required to update and 
maintain their school facilities.
  States and local communities cannot bridge this gap alone, especially 
when many struggle to simply keep teachers and staff on the payroll. We 
know the budget shortfalls will hit low-income and minority communities 
the hardest. The GAO report found high poverty schools were more likely 
to rely on state funding to cover the cost of building repairs compared 
to wealthier schools, which were more likely to fund projects through 
local property taxes. The Federal government can and should be a 
partner in upgrading our public school facilities.
  Addressing this need is not only the right thing to do for our 
students; it will also give a needed boost to our economy, putting 
people to work in family sustaining jobs. According to an analysis by 
the Economic Policy Institute, every $1 billion spent on construction 
generates 17,785 jobs.
  The Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2021 will create a 
Federal-State partnership for school infrastructure. It will provide, 
over ten years, a total of $130 billion in direct grants and school 
construction bonds to help fill the annual gap in school facility 
capital needs, while creating nearly two million jobs.
  Specifically, the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act will 
provide $100 billion in formula funds to states for local competitive 
grants for school repair, renovation, and construction. States will 
focus assistance on communities with the greatest financial need, 
encourage green construction practices, and expand access to high-speed 
broadband to ensure that all students have access to digital learning. 
Our legislation would also provide $30 billion for qualified school 
infrastructure bonds (QSIBs), $10 billion each year from FY 2022 
through FY 2024, and restore the Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs) 
that were eliminated in the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The 
legislation also eases the matching requirements and expands the 
authority and eligible purposes of QZABs to allow local education 
agencies to construct, rehabilitate, retrofit, or repair school 
facilities. The Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act also supports 
American workers by ensuring that projects use American-made iron, 
steel, and manufactured products and meet labor standards.
  I would like to thank the broad coalition of educators, community 
organizations, unions, civil rights advocates, and employers that have 
provided feedback and support for this legislation, including the 21st 
Century Schools Fund, AASA The School Superintendents Association, 
American Association of School Administrators, American Concrete 
Pavement Association, American Concrete Pipe Association, American 
Concrete Pressure Pipe Association, American Concrete Pumping 
Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of 
State, County and Municipal Employees, Association of Educational 
Service Agencies, Association of Latino Administrators and 
Superintendents, Association of School Business Officials 
International, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 
BlueGreen Alliance, Build America's School Infrastructure Coalition, 
Californians for School Facilities, Coalition for Healthier Schools, 
Concrete Foundations Association, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, 
Council of Great City Schools, Green Building Initiative, Healthy 
Schools Network, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail 
and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Union of Bricklayers 
and Allied Craftworkers, International Union of Operating Engineers, 
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, National Association 
of Federally Impacted Schools, National Association of Elementary 
School Principals, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, 
National Association of School Nurses, National Association of 
Secondary School Principals, National Concrete Masonry Association, 
National Education Association, National Precast Concrete Association, 
National PTA, National Ready Mixed Concrete, National Rural Education 
Advocacy Consortium, National Rural Education Association, National 
Urban League, North America's Building Trades Union, North American 
Concrete Alliance, Organizations Concerned About Rural Education, 
Parents for School Safety, Portland Cement Association, Precast/
Prestressed Concrete Institute, Public Advocacy for Kids, Rebuild 
America's Schools Coalition, Rural School and Community Trust, Teach 
Plus, The Brick Industry Association, Tilt-Up Concrete Association, 
U.S. Green Building Council, and the United Steelworkers.
  We have no time to waste in fixing our deteriorating school 
infrastructure. In the words of a student activist in Providence, Rhode 
Island: ``Students cannot learn in a crumbling building, a school that 
isn't fit to uplift our minds.'' We need to listen to our students, 
strengthen our communities,

[[Page S201]]

and improve our school buildings. I urge all of our colleagues to 
support the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act and press for its 
passage
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