[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 200 (Wednesday, November 17, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6324-H6325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
            INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Garcia) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
critical investments coming to my home State of Texas.
  This week, the President signed the Infrastructure Investment and 
Jobs Act. This bipartisan bill is bringing over $35 billion to Texas 
for important projects that will rebuild our communities. The fact is, 
Mr. Speaker, that this is long overdue.
  When I was a Harris County commissioner, I built a few roads. I saw 
firsthand how badly our roads and bridges had deteriorated. We 
regularly scored Cs and Ds on infrastructure that my precinct relied on 
every day, creating extra costs and putting lives in danger. In fact, 
roads in terrible condition have forced Texas drivers to pay over $700 
in extra costs each year. Since 2011, Texans have seen their commute 
increase to about half an hour because our roads haven't kept up with 
our growth.
  In that same time, Texans were hit with 60 extreme weather events 
that cost taxpayers over $200 billion. More than that, crumbling 
infrastructure has taken the lives of thousands in our great State. 
Just this February our electric grid nearly collapsed, and over 200 
people--many of them seniors--froze to death in their homes.
  We are past due in the work to improve our State's infrastructure. 
That is why I am proud to have voted for this jobs bill and for all of 
the investments coming to Texas.
  The bill that we passed is over $3.5 billion to weatherize our grid 
and prepare it for future crises. We also invest $27 billion in our 
State's highways and bridges. We will also get $3 billion to bring 
safe, clean water to every Texan, especially in our rural communities. 
This is not small potatoes.
  We know how dangerous lead pipes are for growing children. Lead 
contamination can cause developmental problems, mental health issues, 
and serious medical emergencies. Because of this funding, we can remove 
lead pipes from Texas schools and ensure that every child can drink 
clean, safe water.
  Thanks to all of these investments, Texans will have safer commutes, 
cleaner water, and lower bills for reliable electricity.
  But this law does not solve just today's problems. It prepares us for 
tomorrow's opportunities. Thanks to this law, Texas will receive nearly 
half a billion dollars to expand the electric vehicle charging network. 
We will also receive over $1 billion to improve our State's airports 
which are some of the Nation's busiest. We can also expect over $100 
million to bring internet access to 1 million Texans who currently lack 
it. This is especially important to rural Texans like my sister who has 
to drive all the way into town to get to the library to access the 
internet.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to solve these problems and create jobs for 
our community. That is what this law is going to do. The bill will 
create thousands of jobs in my State from construction

[[Page H6325]]

workers and laborers to engineers and scientists, and all of these are 
good-paying jobs. For every mile of road that is repaved from Houston 
to El Paso, we will be supporting roadway workers and construction 
workers. For every electrical line that is repaired to be more reliable 
in the cold, we will be supporting electricians and engineers. And for 
every lead pipe that is replaced to keep our children safe, we will be 
supporting plumbers, laborers, and other workers.
  Altogether, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is just about 
that: rebuilding our infrastructure, investing in the future, and 
bringing jobs, jobs, jobs to our communities.
  I am looking forward to seeing these projects come together in my 
home State, and I am grateful for the leadership of our President and 
this Congress in making sure that this can get to all communities in 
our country.
  Together we will truly build back better for Texas.

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