[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 29, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H3245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                COMMONSENSE SOLUTIONS ON INFRASTRUCTURE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Cline) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, there is no denying that Congress must take 
action to improve our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. But, sadly, 
bipartisan negotiations have hit a roadblock, and the infrastructure 
legislation on the floor this week is a go-at-it-alone, my-way-or-the-
highway bill.
  Instead of focusing on traditional infrastructure, Democrats have 
chosen to prioritize the left's Green New Deal agenda. This bill 
includes an estimated $276 billion for Green New Deal-related mandates, 
requirements, and programs. To put that into perspective, $1 out of 
every $2 spent by this legislation is tied up in Green New Deal goals.
  Further, this bill reduces flexibility for States to meet their own 
unique infrastructure needs and fails to streamline major project 
reviews, which typically face a 6-year delay. To make matters worse, 
the spending increases proposed in this bill rely heavily on more 
deficit spending. There are no pay-fors, which will only further fuel 
inflation and increase the cost of goods like gas and food.
  We need commonsense solutions that truly work to improve our roads, 
bridges, railways, and rural broadband. I am pleased to hear that there 
are bipartisan negotiations underway to achieve these goals, but this 
bill this week veers off the road and into a partisan ditch.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' later this week on H.R. 3684.

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