[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 171 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5555-H5556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TIME TO CUT THROUGH THE NOISE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Katko) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KATKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today because it is time to cut 
through the noise and recognize the opportunity at hand.

[[Page H5556]]

  Last month, the Senate passed the bipartisan Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act with the support of 19 Republican Senators, 
including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Since then, I have heard the 
loudest voices in the room say a lot about this bill, except for 
calling it what it is, a once-in-a-generation investment in our 
Nation's physical infrastructure.
  For myself and so many others, a bill like this is the reason we came 
to Congress.
  We have heard from the mom or dad who hit a pothole and had to pay 
out of pocket to fix the family car.
  We have seen our children struggle and fall behind in school without 
reliable internet access.
  Our communities are the ones where basic access to clean drinking 
water has been jeopardized by aging pipes.
  Our workers and businesses are the ones calling for investments that 
will help them compete on the world stage.
  So, the question is: What will we, as Members of Congress, do about 
it?
  Will we allow blatant partisanship on both sides of the aisle to 
stand in the way of legislation that is objectively good for the 
American people?
  Will we ignore the very real crisis that is facing infrastructure 
systems in communities like the one I represent in central New York?
  Will we simply disregard the pleas from the most significant labor 
and business advocates in the country?
  I, for one, will not. I strongly support the bipartisan 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and I urge the Speaker to bring 
the bill to the floor as a standalone vote today.
  This long-overdue legislation delivers comprehensive investment in 
our roads and bridges, ports and waterways, clean water systems, 
broadband networks, electrical grids, and airports.
  The bill takes essential steps to streamline Federal permitting 
processes and undertakes the crucial work of improving the resiliency 
of our hard infrastructure.
  Critically, this legislation includes responsible pay-fors in 
addition to its $550 billion in new spending for physical 
infrastructure. The CBO estimates that the Infrastructure Investment 
and Jobs Act will have a 33 percent return on investment because of the 
economic benefits of long-term infrastructure projects. Experts from 
the American Enterprise Institute have argued that spending under this 
legislation would not contribute to inflation because the spending 
would be spread out over a decade and focus on improving long-term 
productivity.
  To be sure, no legislation is perfect, but this measure is the 
product of an honest, good faith, and bipartisan effort to reach 
consensus and deliver for our constituents. I know that because I have 
spent many years working with my colleagues in the Problem Solvers 
Caucus to reach this moment.
  Since 2017, our group has worked on a framework that would move the 
ball forward on infrastructure and present real policy solutions for 
the challenges we face.
  In presenting our work to a bipartisan group of Governors, Senators, 
and Members of the House in Annapolis, Maryland, earlier this year, we 
helped lay the framework for the bipartisan infrastructure bill the 
House is now considering.
  I am grateful to all of my colleagues who worked on this, and I 
sincerely hope that this work will not have been done in vain. I hope 
that we can see through the cloud of misinformation and partisan 
efforts to hold this bill hostage. I hope my colleagues will look at 
this bill objectively, on its own merits, and consider the benefits 
that it holds for the communities they represent.
  I would also remind my colleagues who are unsure of where they will 
fall this one simple thing: The world is watching.
  Our Nation's adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party, would 
like nothing more than to see this body yield to partisan interests and 
refuse to invest in its own people. These adversaries would cheer our 
decision to ignore the crises of the past year and decide not to invest 
in cybersecurity for our infrastructure assets. They would be relieved 
if we continue a status quo that erases our economy's competitive edge 
and allows malign actors to gain the upper hand.
  Simply put, with this bill, Congress is taking a critical step in 
deciding who will build the future. I will back a future built by 
American workers, ensuring opportunities for American families and 
American businesses.
  I sincerely hope my colleagues will put down their swords just this 
once--just this once--and join me.

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