[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H200-H201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NEW FUNDING FOR SEPTA FROM INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, last Friday was a big day for 
infrastructure in the Philadelphia region.
  Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Philly to announce the 
first tranche of funding for bridges under the new law, including $1.6 
billion for Pennsylvania bridges.

[[Page H201]]

  That afternoon, I got to highlight how funding from the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will improve our regional public 
transit system, known as SEPTA.
  Over the next 5 years, SEPTA will receive more than $500 million more 
than expected. That money will help SEPTA accelerate repair efforts, 
including rehabilitation projects, vehicle replacement, and improving 
accessibility of rail and trolley stations.
  While all of these upgrades are needed, the forthcoming work on 
accessibility is especially important. In fact, it is essential. People 
across our region rely on SEPTA every day to get to work, take their 
kids to school, buy groceries, go to the doctor, and more. Our 
neighbors should be able to complete these daily tasks without having 
to plan around which station has an elevator to accommodate a 
wheelchair or which stop is easier to get a baby stroller in and out 
of.
  I am glad the infrastructure funding that Congress and President 
Biden delivered will help get this much-needed work done more quickly. 
Our Delaware Valley residents deserve it.

                              {time}  1215


                     Election Workers are Essential

  Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise because we have seen a continuous 
assault on voting rights and election integrity in recent years, pushed 
by partisan operatives, foreign governments and, most disturbingly, 
some of our own elected officials.
  Over the weekend, the former President pressed members of his party 
in Pennsylvania to plant more Republican operatives in our election 
system in order to influence the counting of votes.
  The former President said, ``We have to be a lot sharper the next 
time when it comes to counting the vote. Sometimes the vote counter is 
more important than the candidate.'' That is just wrong.
  I will be the first to agree that our election workers are essential, 
but not because they are supposed to change the results in our 
elections for one political party or another. That is not how American 
elections work. Here, the people decide.
  This kind of mindset is exactly why it is so important to have people 
of good character trained and ready to execute the duties of poll 
workers faithfully. Poll workers are the first line of defense for 
ensuring the right to vote. They help voters overcome challenges, both 
bureaucratic and physical, at the polls. They also help educate the 
public about how safe and effective our election system really is.
  We need more engaged citizens who want to contribute to our democracy 
to get involved and sign up to be poll workers in our communities. I 
encourage my constituents to reach out to their county election 
officials today to learn more about this unique opportunity to uphold 
our democratic system and help ensure that all eligible voters are able 
to exercise their most essential freedom, the right to vote.


            Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Delivers Benefits

  Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, one of the highlights of congressional 
action last year was the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and we 
are already seeing the impact in my district, Pennsylvania's 5th, and 
the greater Philadelphia region.
  Just before the holidays, EPA Administrator Regan joined me at the 
Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site to announce that the agency had 
committed millions in funding from that infrastructure bill to this 
project, moving its anticipated completion date up to 2023.
  At this former landfill, chemicals had leached into the soil and 
groundwater for decades in the largely minority community of Eastwick. 
Thanks to funding from the new infrastructure package, many sites like 
Lower Darby Creek will see their cleanup accelerated, and nearly 50 
additional Superfund sites will get the green light to be cleaned up.
  Less pollution, safer communities, and more jobs.
  I am proud to deliver these benefits to PA-05 through the bipartisan 
infrastructure law.

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