[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 117 (Monday, July 10, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2263-S2264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                NEW YORK

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, first, I would like to welcome back my 
colleagues, including our Senate Acting President pro tempore back to 
the Senate after celebrating the July 4th holiday.
  Today, my thoughts are with all New Yorkers impacted by the flash 
floods that barraged the Hudson Valley, particularly Orange County 
where the West Point Military Academy is located, as well as other 
parts of Upstate New York, particularly Ontario County. The situation 
on the ground remains dangerous. Streets have been turned into rivers; 
houses have been swept away in their entirety; and, sadly, at least one 
person has lost her life.
  I have been in contact with the local first responders on the ground 
to ensure we are doing everything we can in my office to help.
  Today, I also called on FEMA to be ready to grant any request from 
the State for a major disaster declaration. And I urge everyone in New 
York and across the Northeast to exercise caution in the coming days. 
The danger is not over.
  I will continue to monitor this situation and bring the long arm of 
the Federal Government to help in every way that it can.
  Madam President, now, when people think about the July 4th holiday, 
they think about fireworks, barbecues, family. But last week, many 
Americans saw something else too. They saw more construction workers 
hard at work in their communities. They saw more hard hats and shovels 
and cranes and cement trucks operating day and night. They saw, in 
other words, Democrats' agenda in action, an agenda that has created 
over 35,000 new infrastructure projects over the last 2 years. These 
projects will mean millions of new good-paying jobs across the country 
for years to come. New York is a terrific example.
  Last week, I was proud to announce that nearly $7 billion in Federal 
dollars has been approved for the Gateway Tunnel project, in what will 
be the largest Federal transportation grant in history for the most 
important infrastructure project in America.
  Gateway has been a true passion of mine for more than a decade, a 
labor of love that I have been focused on for a long time. It is 
critical for our economy in the Northeast and, in fact, in the entire 
country. Should the tunnels under the Hudson not be usable, the 
Northeast--and probably the country--would go into recession. So this 
affects everybody.
  And the funding I announced was as a direct result of the terrific 
work we did in Congress to pass generational infrastructure 
legislation. Our work over the past few years is paying off. The 
Gateway project alone will create 72,000 new jobs--good-paying jobs--
and generate over $19 billion in ancillary economic activity in 
addition to the dollars that are being spent.

[[Page S2264]]

  And our infrastructure agenda is not just about bridges and tunnels 
either. The administration announced recently over $42 billion in 
broadband funding is heading to the States across the Nation--more 
money so kids can access high-speed internet at home and so more 
families in both rural and urban communities can stay connected across 
the country.
  I thank my colleagues who worked over the July 4th weekend to 
announce all the great projects happening around the country. 
Implementation will remain a top Democratic priority.

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