[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4283-H4289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 117TH CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HOYER. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, today, we have once again seen the majority 
party unable to govern. The defense bill was scheduled today, and 
apparently the majority party cannot get its act together, so we are 
not considering the defense bill today. Unfortunately, the Republicans 
seem to be frozen by their own dysfunction.
  It is interesting that we have scheduled today to show the work that 
the 117th Congress did that is making such a positive effect today in 
America. Today, we ought to reflect on what Democrats accomplished by 
standing together last Congress, with some bipartisan support.
  The 117th Congress was one of the most productive in American history 
because Democrats united behind a common cause: investing in America, 
making us stronger, safer, healthier, and more competitive in the 21st 
century.
  Now, the historic investments we made to create jobs, lower costs, 
and build the economy from the bottom and middle out are coming to 
fruition. Conveying the scale of these laws' positive impact on our 
country is no easy task, especially in a single hour, and we do not 
expect to do it in this hour alone.
  We can look at the past 32 months of consecutive job growth in 
America. We can point to the 13.5 million new jobs, including 800,000 
new manufacturing jobs in the last 2\1/2\ years, added to our economy 
under the Biden-Harris administration.

                              {time}  1830

  The previous administration, by comparison, Mr. Speaker, added 
500,000 manufacturing jobs to the economy in the first 3 years before 
the pandemic. Indeed, we created more jobs in 2 years than any prior 
administration has added in a single 4-year term.
  We pushed the unemployment rate to a generational low, with more 
Americans working today than at any point in our Nation's history.
  Rather than stalling out into a recession, our economy continues to 
boom because Democrats put people over politics to invest in America.
  Goldman Sachs just put out a report estimating that we will see 
another 200,000 manufacturing jobs in the next 2 years alone. That 
makes a million new manufacturing jobs incorporated into what will then 
be a 15 million new jobs accomplishment.
  With inflation threatening to eat into more take-home pay for working 
Americans last Congress, Democrats stepped up to pass policies to 
reduce costs, raise wages, and create jobs.
  The results are now in: It worked, and it is still working. Wages 
continue to go up; inflation continues to go down; and our economy 
continues to grow at a steady pace.
  There are many factors at play, Mr. Speaker, in the global economy, 
but we owe these strong economic trends in no small part to the laws we 
enacted in the last Congress.
  Economic strength alone, however, doesn't capture all that these laws 
are accomplishing for the American people.
  The best way to understand how these laws are transforming our Nation 
for all Americans is to meet Americans where they are to hear firsthand 
how these policies are making a difference in their lives and the lives 
of their families.
  This year, Mr. Speaker, members of the Regional Leadership Council 
appointed by minority Democratic Leader Jeffries have had those 
conversations with countless Americans at schools, hospitals, union 
halls, small businesses, VA clinics, farms, and factories across the 
country.
  We have also sought to identify further funding opportunities, 
implement these policies, and inform the public about how they can 
access these programs and opportunities.
  Mr. Speaker, tonight we want to show Americans how their tax dollars 
are building a better future for their families and communities.
  We are working with Democrats to ensure that those investments reach 
every community in every corner of the country, and we look forward to 
working with Republicans to do the same. It doesn't seem to be their 
focus right now, but maybe it will be.
  All Americans deserve to feel the impact of these policies, whether 
they live on the quietest country road or the loudest city street, 
because investing in America, Mr. Speaker, means investing in all of 
America.
  Over the next hour, the members of the Regional Leadership Council 
will detail our implementation progress and show how investing in 
America's agenda is changing lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I will now turn to my colleagues, and I yield first to 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto).
  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for this 
great opportunity.
  Last Congress was the most productive in over 50 years. With the 
leadership of President Biden and Democrats in the House and Senate, 
and with the help of some moderate Republicans, we were able to pass 
landmark legislation, the core of which in our economic agenda was the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which had a bipartisan vote; 
the CHIPS Act, also a bipartisan vote; and the Inflation Reduction Act.
  I am honored to serve on the Regional Leadership Council as we talk 
about investing in America. This is about progress, and I am honored to 
represent on that council both my home State of Florida and Georgia.
  In Florida, we are slated for up to $50 billion in infrastructure 
improvements. It means roads and bridges in places like I-4 in central 
Florida, which has been mired in traffic for years because of our great 
growth. It means a new airport tower in Tampa that Representative 
Castro worked on for their growing city. Across the State, we literally 
quadrupled the budget for ports in Florida because of these efforts.
  I got to visit Cape Canaveral and see the work they are doing there 
in the top cruise line destination port in the world, the expansions 
there.
  In south Florida, water projects to help with clean water as well as 
ports have also been huge, and we see these types of expansions at our 
airports, like Orlando International Airport with a new Terminal C and 
expansions there.
  We have seen hundreds of thousands of jobs created in Florida because 
of these infrastructure projects. We are seeing local ironworkers, 
electrical workers, and local operating engineers working on these 
major projects as central Floridians are gathering together as well as 
Floridians from across the State.
  A surprising fact: Florida had more lead pipes than any other State. 
That was a big surprise. Now, we have funding coming in to help out 
everything from schoolkids to seniors who live in mobile home 
developments.
  We are also seeing a huge amount of work around the Inflation 
Reduction Act. Georgia is cleaning up right now in making electric 
vehicles, electric batteries, and even recycling EV batteries, with 
both Hyundai and Rivian joining in those areas.
  In fact, when we were in our Energy and Commerce Committee, we had 
gentlemen from Georgia who had to change their tune on the very bill 
attacking EVs that was being discussed

[[Page H4284]]

because there are so many jobs coming into Georgia to help out.
  Of course, the Chips and Science Act coupled with these other bills 
are doubling the amount of manufacturing, construction, and investment 
in our Nation. We are the envy of the world right now in the 
manufacturing that we have going on.
  In our own State, we focus on aerospace chips, chips to help out with 
satellites and rockets and with the harsh conditions of space and 
aerospace. In central Florida, we were just named a finalist for the 
biggest CHIPS Act project in the State. We are going to continue to 
work with them and also with Green Garden Village, the biggest 
Inflation Reduction Act project making EV batteries.
  I thank the gentleman, my leader--he always will be my leader--Steny 
Hoyer, for bringing us together to talk about progress, to talk about 
jobs, to talk about manufacturing and clean energy as we continue to 
invest in America and move our Nation forward.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments, and I 
now yield to the gentleman from northern California (Mr. Huffman).
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for 
doing such a great job steering this Regional Leadership Council 
through our work so that we can highlight how Democrats are investing 
in America and putting people over politics.
  Others have mentioned the legislative packages that we were able to 
put on President Biden's desk in the last Congress, all the 
transformative, historic bills--the American Rescue Plan, the 
bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and much 
more.
  We are bringing down inflation. We are growing the economy. We are 
rebuilding this country for the 21st century, lowering prescription 
drug costs, and a lot more.
  During that incredibly productive 2-year period when President Biden 
had a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate, we also showed you can 
govern in Congress and do big things that matter to people, contrary to 
what we are seeing with this ``Keystone Cops'' episode and the 
Republican majority in this Congress.
  Now, as the representative for Region 2, which is northern 
California, Alaska, and Hawaii, I have had a laser focus on bringing 
these investments home for some of the most consequential issues that 
we are up against. Today, I want to highlight two of those big 
priorities: Investments for Tribes and solutions to manage our 
increasingly difficult water challenges in the West.
  I proudly represent a region rich with indigenous diversity. 
Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked with Tribes to address 
the various issues affecting these communities, from critical 
infrastructure to revising ecosystems on the brink of collapse.
  One element of critical infrastructure that has been neglected for 
way too long is broadband expansion. In today's digital age, access to 
affordable high-speed internet is not a luxury but a necessity. Yet, 
there is still a staggering digital divide, especially in Indian 
Country.
  Under the Biden-Harris administration, we are beginning to change 
that. We have been building out broadband infrastructure to connect 
Tribes with internet access that is essential to economic development, 
education, public safety, and quality of life.
  A lot of the grants are flowing to our communities, thanks to the $3 
billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program that we created last 
Congress.
  Just last month, I got to tour a local project in Covelo with the 
Round Valley Tribe, a very remote part of my district. They are working 
with this grant funding to expand broadband and connect 726 Tribal 
households, 3 Tribal businesses, and 7 Tribal community anchor 
institutions, including a health clinic. This is game-changing stuff.
  The infrastructure law is also helping with a project that is 
incredibly important to Tribes in my region, restoring the Klamath 
River Basin. The Karuk, Hoopa, and Yurok Tribes' way of life has 
revolved around the Klamath River since time immemorial. Four 
dilapidated dams on that river have decimated it. With the help from 
the bipartisan infrastructure law, those dams are finally coming down. 
They don't impact anyone's water supply, but they are going to help 
bring this river back to life, thanks to the work that we have done.
  On top of all that, the Interior Department just announced $150 
million from the IRA to electrify homes in Tribal communities.
  These are real results happening for populations that have been 
underserved and left to the wayside for far too long.
  Now, let's switch quickly to talk about the looming crisis with water 
infrastructure and resiliency in the West.
  Every community in our region, rural or urban, has to deal with the 
impacts of crippling droughts year after year. The climate crisis is 
driving severe conditions and historically low water allocations. We 
have our work cut out for us.
  We need to prioritize equitable green and proven-to-work solutions 
that help communities adapt, like large-scale water recycling, and that 
is exactly what we are doing.
  We included the largest investment in Western water infrastructure in 
decades in our work in the last Congress. To date, we have invested 
$310 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law for projects that 
advance water recycling and reuse. In fact, in the North Bay, where I 
represent a reuse authority program, we just received $6.9 million for 
these types of projects.
  There are a lot of groundbreaking initiatives underway right now to 
combat drought in the West because of the work that we did. Under the 
IRA, we made a $25 million investment to fund a pilot project that just 
makes so much sense. In California, we have all of these aqueducts and 
canals that have evaporative water loss and could have solar panels 
covering them to reduce that loss and generate clean, renewable energy. 
We now have a pilot project to enable that kind of innovation, a win-
win solution because of the work we did.
  All of this is happening on the ground in our communities, and it is 
proof that investing in America pays off. We should all take note.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, investing in America, making a difference for 
people, that is what we are doing.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Delaware (Ms. Blunt 
Rochester).
  Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the leader, 
for organizing this Special Order hour and especially for his steadfast 
leadership of the Regional Leadership Council.
  What I love about Steny is that his whole focus on this is about 
implementation, but it is also about informing people about all the 
things that have been done to support the American people.
  I thank Mr. Hoyer and Leader Hakeem Jeffries for creating and 
organizing our group, and I am honored to represent my colleagues of 
Region 9, which includes the States of New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, 
the District of Columbia, and my home State of Delaware.
  Our region, like the entire Regional Leadership Council, has been 
focused on the implementation of the historic legislation passed in the 
117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden and Vice 
President Kamala Harris when Democrats put people over politics and 
delivered transformational change.
  Leaders like Representative Jennifer McClellan in Virginia's Fourth 
Congressional District have delivered results for her constituents, 
funding to reconnect Richmond's historic Jackson Ward neighborhood that 
was split in half during the construction of the interstate highway 
system. This funding was delivered through the bipartisan 
infrastructure law and is reconnecting communities.
  Chairman  Bobby Scott was able to secure over $400 million for the 
city of Norfolk in Virginia's Third Congressional District to help 
create more climate-resilient infrastructure in the face of increased 
flooding.
  Representatives Kweisi Mfume,   John Sarbanes, and Dutch 
Ruppersberger also celebrated the launch of a new workforce hub in 
Baltimore that came as a direct result of the Chips and Science Act. 
The hub will help train workers to step into good-paying jobs and build 
the region's skilled workforce all while catalyzing investments in 
clean energy.

[[Page H4285]]

  


                              {time}  1845

  These stories are just some of the stories all around Region 9, 
including in Delaware. After decades of effort, with families waiting 
and struggling when nobody believed them, our veterans in this country 
started a movement for better healthcare. We, under Democratic 
leadership, not only believed them but fought for them and were able to 
turn that into action with the passage of the PACT Act.
  Before you here is the result of a resource fair that we did in 
Delaware. My office did a constituent resource fair where we had 
hundreds of Delawareans come out to learn about resources from dozens 
of Federal, State, and nonprofit agencies. On the spot, 30 veterans 
were able to sign up and be screened for the PACT Act. Those were 
benefits that now those families will be able to have.
  I am going to tell a story that is personal and goes back over 20 
years of a small town in Delaware called Ellendale, a rural community 
reliant on well water. Residents of Ellendale had been forced to bathe, 
cook with, and drink dirty water. They had fought for decades to secure 
a local connection to clean and reliable drinking water.
  Here they are holding the water in their hands.
  With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the 
historic investments made through the Inflation Reduction Act, small, 
rural towns like Ellendale will finally be able to open their taps and 
know that clean, drinkable water will be flowing from them, meaning 
that they will be healthier and able to thrive. I am so proud of the 
work that we have been able to do.
  Lastly, I would just say this: All of our work has expanded drinking 
water across this country. Drinking Water State Revolving Funds have 
gotten $14 billion, provided over $500 million directly to small and 
disadvantaged communities and over $500 million to remediate lead 
contamination. Included was a provision that I authored for the first-
of-its-kind, low-income water bill assistance program.
  I will end with this: We came out of a pandemic as a country. Don't 
forget where we came from. The 117th Congress, with President Joe 
Biden, passed historic legislation that will provide for the American 
people clean drinking water, clean air, access to the internet, cheaper 
healthcare, newer roads and bridges, and more jobs.
  The bottom line is, we put politics to the side, and we supported the 
people. We didn't just do it with words. We did it with action. We 
delivered for Delaware, and we delivered for the American people.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for talking about how 
the impact of the Investing in America agenda has worked for America 
and Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng).
  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Hoyer for his leadership and for 
organizing this Special Order hour for the Regional Leadership Council. 
And I thank our Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, for giving me the 
opportunity to represent our New York region.
  When Democrats held the majority in the 117th Congress, we did not 
waste a moment making President Biden's Investing in America agenda a 
reality.
  I am proud to report our bold agenda is delivering unprecedented 
Federal investments to the State of New York. I see every day how these 
investments are creating well-paying jobs, improving my State's 
infrastructure, increasing green energy production, lowering energy 
costs for families, and bringing 21st century industries to our State.
  In just 2 years, New York has received over $12 billion in public 
infrastructure and clean energy funding and is slated to receive 
billions more in the coming years.
  Beyond the numbers, what do these investments look like in New York? 
It looks like this:
  Micron investing $20 billion within this decade in semiconductor 
manufacturing in Clay, New York;
  $254 million to make more train and subway stations accessible to 
people with disabilities;
  $175 million for infrastructure improvements for our airports, 
including $111 million for JFK and $56 million for LaGuardia, but also 
for our dozens of smaller regional airports that so many communities 
rely on, like $14 million for Long Island MacArthur;
  $18.3 million for the purchase of over 50 electric schoolbuses for 
our public school students;
  $664 million for providing fiber optic infrastructure to cities and 
towns without internet service.
  These investments are transforming New York right before our eyes.
  The next time you see a lane closed on the highway for construction 
or a neighbor installing solar panels, or an EV charging station open 
on your way to work, or a decrepit bridge being replaced, there is a 
good chance that the Investing in America agenda helped make that 
possible.
  I will also take time today to talk about the Investing in America 
agenda's climate resilient infrastructure investments, the largest of 
its kind in American history. The impacts of climate change are here, 
and millions of Americans are suffering the consequences.
  Storms, flooding, heat waves, and wildfires are occurring with 
greater intensity and frequency. It is causing unprecedented damage, 
tragically taking lives and even entire communities. In my own Queens 
district, lives were lost to stormwater flooding 2 years ago during 
Hurricane Ida.
  However, the Investing in America agenda is making our communities 
safer and our infrastructure more resilient to these impacts.
  We are investing $8.7 billion to ensure roadways can withstand 
natural hazards and that communities have safe evacuation routes;
  $8.2 billion across programs designed to reduce the risk of and 
detect and fight wildfires;
  $3.5 billion for the flood mitigation program to help flood-prone 
communities reduce the risk of flood damage to homes and businesses; 
and so much more.
  These investments from Democrats and President Biden and Vice 
President Harris, in addition to the massive investments we are making 
in fighting the climate change crisis, will help protect communities 
and save lives.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing to the 
American people's attention the consequences of the investments we have 
made in America and how it has impacted our families and our friends 
all over this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean).
  Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is a delight to be here 
with Mr. Hoyer and my colleagues tonight.
  Last Congress was the most productive Congress since 1964. Democrats 
in the House and Senate, alongside the Biden administration, invested 
in America and in our communities.
  The scope of the three bills--the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs 
Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act--is 
immense for everyone everywhere. Whether your district is red, blue, or 
purple, these monumental laws will reach you and help transform where 
you live, where you work, and where you play into something greener and 
safer.
  With the largest investment in our planet in our lifetime, we are 
reimagining the fight against the climate crisis. That means building 
more resilient roads and stronger bridges to withstand a changing 
climate. It means expanding our EV infrastructure. It means 
manufacturing. In Region 10, which I represent, these dollars will 
guide us from the Rust Belt to revitalization.
  We are seeing this work already. In western Pennsylvania, in 
Representative Chris Deluzio's district, we have invested $3.5 million 
to connect Moon Township to a new economic hub that will create 1,900 
construction jobs and generate $14 million annually for the community.
  In Susan Wild's district in the northeast, we are investing more than 
$36 million to upgrade roads, highways, and bridges, like Cementon 
bridge, to better connect the Lehigh Valley.
  In the entire southeastern region of Pennsylvania where I am from, we 
are investing more than $200 million to improve roadways, I-95, 676, 
the Boulevard, and Route 1. Our Commonwealth is becoming better 
connected.
  The same can be said for West Virginia: $1.6 billion for its roads, 
bridges, public transit, and so much more, including I-64, connecting 
West Virginia's two largest cities, Charleston

[[Page H4286]]

and Huntington, making an hour commute safer and more efficient, making 
a huge difference for residents, commercial vehicles, and tourists who 
love West Virginia's wild and wonderful scenery.
  The Federal Government is helping to fund an upgrade to I-64 that is 
long overdue; and because of our work, more than $26 million has 
already been dedicated to upgrade I-64, U.S. 35, and more to come.
  Whether it is U.S. 35 or I-75, Ohio is using this Federal funding to 
upgrade their roads, as well. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's district 
celebrated the reopening of DiSalle bridge, a newly built section of I-
75 in Toledo with the help of more than $12 million from the 
infrastructure law.
  In northeast Ohio, my colleague Congresswoman Emilia Sykes' district 
has seen more than $25 million to upgrade highways, interchanges, and 
off-ramps.
  In Congressman  Greg Landsman's district, we are investing $1.6 
billion into the Brent Spence bridge, ensuring safety. In a State like 
Ohio, upgrading roads and bridges means better connections that will 
grow its economy, ensure safety, and better prepare us for climate 
change, not just for communities in Ohio but for its neighbors, like 
Kentucky.
  Speaking of Kentucky, it is the number one producer of cars, light 
trucks, and SUVs in our Nation. It is one of our Nation's leaders in 
electric vehicle battery parks. Look at that, a so-called red State is 
leading us in being green. Recently, EV battery plants in Kentucky, 
alongside neighboring Tennessee, received the largest Federal 
investment ever made to the auto industry.
  Across Kentucky, like in my colleague Congressman Morgan McGarvey's 
district, officials are committed to smartly serving the growing hybrid 
and electric vehicle market. It is not just where we are driving, it is 
what we are driving. It is not only good for our planet, but it is good 
for jobs. EV manufacturing will provide more than 10,000 jobs for 
Kentuckians.
  Whether a red State or a blue State, we are all in this moment 
together, a moment where we can once again transform our Nation into a 
powerhouse of manufacturing. That is what government is about. It is 
not about bickering or faux impeachment inquiries or shutting 
the government down. No. What we are doing with this impressive list of 
investments is showing that government can work and must work for the 
people, for our planet, and for our children.

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her comments, 
making it clear that we invested. We didn't just spend money, we 
invested to make America better and American lives better.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig).
  Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work of the 
Regional Leadership Council. My colleagues and I just got back to D.C. 
after an extended work period in our districts. It was a busy, busy 
time in the south metro of Minnesota but also across the Midwest.
  To me, being busy is a really good thing. Busy means things are 
happening, small businesses are opening roundtable discussions, ribbon 
cuttings, shovels in dirt, townhalls, and, yes, a whole lot of 
harvesting is about to be happening across the Midwest, including corn 
and soybeans across my congressional district.
  However, this work period was busy for a very particular reason. We 
passed the 1-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, and we 
were able to celebrate the benefits that this legislation has already 
brought home, and, in particular, to rural communities.
  I am going to take a minute and put this legislation into perspective 
about what it has already done and what it will continue to do for 
Midwest communities. Let me start with the Inflation Reduction Act's 
historic investment in homegrown biofuels infrastructure, the largest 
this Nation has ever made. E-15 and biofuel production are key for our 
ag communities and environments. They expand markets for family farmers 
and support economic growth in rural communities. They are a solution 
that we have available today to help us address climate change.

                              {time}  1900

  Across Region 3, these credits are providing family farmers and 
producers with the support and resources that they need to sustain and 
grow their operations, enabling them to continue feeding and fueling 
our country.
  Earlier this summer, the Department of Agriculture awarded their 
first awardees for the IRA's Higher Blend Fuels Infrastructure Program. 
Half of the awards went to States in Region 3 alone.
  The signing of the Inflation Reduction Act also signaled a historic 
investment in our Nation's infrastructure. Infrastructure investments 
are a win-win for America's workers, businesses, and communities. They 
just make sense.
  Here in Minnesota, we have received $3.8 billion in infrastructure 
and clean energy investments, including Federal dollars to make our 
roads, our bridges, public transits, and airports safer, deploy clean 
water projects, and provide broadband funding to make sure our rural 
communities can access the high-speed internet they deserve. These are 
investments we are building on right here in Region 3.
  We have about $1 billion heading to Wisconsin. If you know anything 
about Minnesota, we are very competitive with Wisconsin, but as a 
Region 3 representative, I am so proud to say that those dollars are 
going to the Midwest through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment 
Program to provide high-speed internet to 253,000 homes and small 
businesses; $73 million heading to Michigan through the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law's Bridge Investment Program to replace the 85-year-
old Lafayette Avenue Bridge, which serves as a critical passage point 
in the State's economy, and the list, of course, goes on.
  Each of these infrastructure projects will play a critical role in 
building a safer, stronger America. I personally cannot wait to see 
every single one of them come to life.
  Mr. Speaker, I will end with a personal privilege.
  I spent about 20 years working in the medtech industry, and since 
entering Congress, working to lower healthcare costs have been one of 
my highest priorities.
  Given that, I thought I would just end my remarks by sharing a story 
of a constituent of mine, a man named Bob Miller.
  Bob relies on Medicare, and for years, about a decade, he has relied 
on a prescription drug to treat his debilitating MS flare-ups. For over 
a decade, Bob has seen the price of his drug skyrocket and was 
ultimately forced to stop taking the drug that he relies on because 
even with insurance, the price of that drug was just too expensive.
  Bob's story is heartbreaking but unsurprising. We all know people 
across America who have to make those same critical decisions each and 
every day. Because here in the richest country in the world, people 
like Bob have been forced to make the decision to forego life-
sustaining medications because it is just too expensive.
  When we passed the Inflation Reduction Act, we allowed Medicare the 
power to start negotiating drug prices across our country; good old-
fashioned competition to help lower drug costs for our seniors.
  I don't understand for the life of me how my colleagues cannot be in 
favor of good old-fashioned competition.
  Many American seniors are now and will be able to live happier, 
healthier lives as a result of this legislation.
  That, Mr. Speaker, deserves to be celebrated. I look forward to 
continuing to see the benefits of all of these important pieces of 
legislation, and I thank the gentleman from Maryland for convening us.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her contribution 
to showing how investing in America has made a difference in rural 
America and made a healthier America.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. 
Kilmer).
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, in my region, you will find the Investing in America 
agenda in full swing.
  Since Congress delivered the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to 
President Biden's desk, infrastructure investments totaling nearly $6 
billion have been announced in my State of Washington alone: roads and 
bridges and

[[Page H4287]]

ports and water systems, and even some investments that haven't been 
leading on cable news.
  Just last month in my district, we celebrated nearly $20 million to 
support healthy salmon populations which are vital to our culture and 
to our way of life and to jobs, for hatcheries, for habitat, and for 
culverts.
  When the founders of my State built our roads, they often did so over 
rivers and streams. We have culverts intended for fish passage that, 
simply put, don't work.
  You don't hear a lot about that piece of the infrastructure law, but 
it is a big deal. Whether you are a sportsman or a citizen of one of 
the 12 Tribes that I represent, or just someone who appreciates nature, 
these investments matter.
  To the north of my district, the Representative from Washington's 
Second District, Rick Larsen, who is the ranking member of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, recently hosted a 
bipartisan forum focusing on showcasing the benefits the Infrastructure 
Law is bringing to ports. As Leader Hoyer has said time and again: 
``Let's make it in America.'' These investments in ports make sure that 
the things we make in America can get sold all over the world.
  In my own district, the Port of Grays Harbor has been awarded a $25.5 
million grant for an export terminal. To be clear, that will help 
export American products all over the Pacific Rim.
  In downtown Seattle, our colleague from Washington's Seventh 
District, Pramila Jayapal, organized an event at the Salmon Bay Bridge. 
This bridge is on track to receive $25 million for the rehabilitation 
of its movable span, ensuring it can accommodate shipping 
boats efficiently.

  Washington isn't the only State whose residents are benefiting from 
these investments. In Colorado, Diana DeGette, our colleague from the 
First District of Colorado, celebrated the noteworthy replacement of 
the 112-year-old Alameda bridge in Denver. Spanning Interstate 25 and 
the South Platte River, that bridge holds the distinction of being the 
oldest highway bridge in the State.
  Mr. Speaker, it is no exaggeration that we are seeing historic 
investments made possible through President Biden's agenda working with 
our caucus.
  At its core, it is about critical infrastructure investments 
happening throughout our Nation every day. Why? Because infrastructure 
is fundamental for a thriving economy and community.
  I have seen it firsthand. I worked in economic development before I 
got to Congress. These investments are not just about the roads under 
our feet, the bridges we cross, it is not just about pipelines for 
clean water to our homes or trains delivering us to our hometowns, it 
is about technology, too.
  A while back, I visited a Tribe in my district on the coast of 
Washington. It is as rural as people in this Chamber could possibly 
imagine.
  We stopped at their library. I asked, is this where your students 
study?
  They said, we don't have internet in this library.
  That is just unacceptable.
  And the fact is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is going to connect 
people to broadband in a big way. So if you are an entrepreneur or a 
senior or a student in a rural classroom, you can get online so that 
you can connect your business or have a telehealth visit or take an 
online class.
  We are seeing the benefits of this Investing in America agenda and 
the commitment to reenergizing and strengthening our communities, 
including rural communities that I represent. We are helping people 
make it in America. We are seeing that in the region that I come from 
on the West, and I couldn't be more excited about what is ahead.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader for pulling us together and for his 
leadership.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington State 
who has made such a difference in this Congress, making sure that 
people understand that we have invested in America and their lives are 
better.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardenas).
  Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Speaker, I start by thanking the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for yielding me time.
  I rise today with an update for the American people: We are investing 
in America, and it is paying off.
  Like every other Representative in this room, I just returned to D.C. 
after a district work period. Back in Southern California, I heard 
story after story about transformative changes in our communities that 
are going on. All thanks to bills and programs that President Joe Biden 
signed into law after we passed them right here in Congress.
  I met with employees at Capstone Green Energy Corporation, one of the 
many successful clean energy companies that employ over 37,000 people 
in my district and are working to advance the carbon reduction goals.
  With support from the Inflation Reduction Act, businesses like 
Capstone will grow and hire more employees to help us transition to a 
cleaner energy future.
  I sat down with veterans to speak with them about what we are doing 
in Congress to go beyond thanking them for their service. We talked 
about benefits they can access through the PACT Act and support they 
can receive from 988's Veterans Crisis Line, initiatives championed by 
House Democrats and signed into law by President Biden.
  Recently at a roundtable, local healthcare workers explained to me 
how lower drug prices for people on Medicare are making a big 
difference.
  House Democrats and President Biden are committed to making 
healthcare more affordable, and that includes lowering the prices of 
drugs that our seniors need. That is why we capped the price of 
insulin. Anyone who takes insulin every day to stay alive knows just 
how life-changing lower insulin prices are.
  Before we brought prices down, the high cost of insulin forced many 
people with diabetes to make extremely risky decisions, like rationing 
insulin because they just couldn't afford to buy more.
  I know how devastating diabetes can be, especially when you can't 
afford to manage it. My dad, Andres Cardenas, died at the age of 67, 
and I can tell you from personal experience how painful it is to watch 
someone you love choose between providing for his family and getting 
lifesaving medicine.
  No one in America should ever have to do that. No family should 
suffer through that.
  That is why Congressional Democrats and the Biden administration are 
working so hard to lower drug prices for Americans so that no one has 
to watch a loved one suffer from an illness that they just cannot 
afford to treat.
  Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration has 
successfully capped out-of-pocket insulin prices for those on Medicare 
at $35 a month.
  It was momentum behind these policy ideas that moved insulin 
manufacturers to lower costs across the board on insulin products. This 
will allow people to live longer, healthier lives.
  We know mental health is just as important as our physical health. 
This summer, America celebrated 1 year since the launch of 988, the 
number for the new Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that anybody in America 
can call 24 hours a day. The 988 system is saving lives.
  Back home, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, the lead crisis center 
for the Lifeline in California, released data showing that California 
centers answered over 280,000 calls, chats, and texts, with 98 percent 
of these contacts getting resolved.
  Communities across America are thriving because of the investments 
that Congressional Democrats and President Biden has made in our 
futures. We are rebuilding crumbling infrastructure and designing new 
transportation, ensuring that all Americans have access to high-speed 
internet, lowering drug prices, providing mental health resources, 
giving our veterans the resources they need, and kick-starting job 
creation around the country.
  I am so proud of what we have been able to accomplish, and I look 
forward to all that we will accomplish with President Biden. I invite 
our Republican colleagues to join us.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for his 
observations with respect to investing in America, making a healthier 
America, healthier families, both from a

[[Page H4288]]

physical health standpoint and a mental health standpoint.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Hoyer very much for 
this great opportunity and thank him for his incredible leadership in 
leading this Regional Leadership Council.
  A special thank you to our leader, Leader Jeffries, for this very 
significant appointment to serve on this committee with so many 
outstanding Members of Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be the representative of Region 7 on the 
House Democrats' Regional Leadership Council representing Alabama, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
  In Louisiana, the month of August is known for its hurricanes. To see 
what climate change looks like, I invite you to visit us. Storms, 
floods, sea-level rise: our lives, our homes, our cultures are 
literally on the line.
  I was honored to have my friend Senior Advisor Mitch Landrieu back 
home during the district work period to talk about critical funding 
Democrats secured during the 117th Congress through the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law to help combat the crisis in our climate.
  We announced new climate resilience funding through two competitive 
grant programs, marking a pivotal moment in safeguarding our 
communities and building a more resilient Nation.
  Democrats are dedicating more money to FEMA to empower communities 
nationwide to proactively reduce the vulnerability to floods, 
hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, extreme heat, and other climate-
induced hazards. These are real.
  As it was said earlier, what a shame that some would suggest it isn't 
real, that it is a hoax. Ask the people throughout America if they 
believe it is a hoax.
  Louisiana received funds through both grant programs. Specifically, 
we had 55 projects selected totaling $207 million statewide, and my 
district alone receiving $96.5 million. These dollars reflect 
recognition of the growing threats posed by climate change and a 
commitment to addressing these issues head-on.
  The benefits of these programs are happening all over Region 7 
through FMA and BRIC grants.
  Flood Mitigation Assistance Grants were awarded to: Alabama, $27,500; 
Mississippi, $2.4 million; North Carolina, $7.6 million; South 
Carolina, $1.2 million.
  BRIC grants were awarded to: Mississippi, $315,000; North Carolina, 
$163 million; South Carolina, $40.7 million.
  These investments in Region 7 are being used for projects like: 
Installing standalone emergency generators to be used in power failures 
affecting some 30,308 folks in Mississippi; protecting North Carolina's 
water supply, a Justice40 Project, and alleviating repetitive flood 
loss to critical lifeline utilities and emergency support services; and 
ensuring a South Carolina water treatment plant supply during flooding 
events.

                              {time}  1915

  Millions of Americans bear the brunt of climate change's impact every 
year. Whether through drought, extreme heat, wildfires, or floods, 
Louisiana knows the truth better than anybody else. These projects are 
not just infrastructure; they are lifelines that strengthen the fabric 
of our community.
  We know that these are real. We know that it is making a difference. 
Democrats have been fighting for these issues and providing not just 
talk but real action. The cost of war has been real, and we have seen 
it in every way.
  The Honoring our PACT Act addresses the full scope of issues 
affecting toxic-exposed veterans' access to VA care and benefits while 
reforming VA's presumptive decisionmaking process. It will expand VA's 
healthcare eligibility for over 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn 
pits and establish a presumption of service in connection for over 23 
respiratory illnesses and cancers. It would eliminate the requirement 
that veterans prove exposure to toxic substances, a requirement that 
has often prevented many from accessing the care and benefits they 
earned and deserve.
  This comprehensive bill expands access to care and benefits to the 
veterans who were exposed as they selflessly served our country. It 
also expands benefits to their loved ones and surviving family members.
  I have joined my colleagues in widely promoting the benefits of this 
bill and encouraging veterans to apply. One year after its passage, 
more than 800,000 claims and counting have already been filed.
  Veterans deserve more than a hollow thank-you for their service. They 
deserve action. Democrats are making good on our promise to care for 
all veterans exposed to toxic substances.
  In Region 7 alone, we have 2.6 million veterans. This includes: 
Louisiana, 279,000; Alabama, 359,000; Arkansas, 211,000; Mississippi, 
187,000; Tennessee, 453,000; North Carolina, 703,000; Puerto Rico, 
81,000; South Carolina, 393,000.
  Most importantly, we thank the families of veterans who tragically 
lost their lives because of being exposed to toxic substances during 
their time of service for their sacrifices.
  Tonight, we are celebrating this historic achievement of the 117th 
Congress. We are seeing lives changed in real time. Democrats will keep 
fighting to make life better for all Americans, regardless of race, 
background, socioeconomic status.
  Again, I am proud to be the representative for Region 7 on the 
Regional Leadership Council. We are working for you, and we aren't 
nearly done.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. 
Fletcher).
  Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Hoyer for his leadership and 
for his belief in and commitment to our country.
  As the proud representative of Region 6, which is Texas, New Mexico, 
and Arizona, I join my colleagues in recognizing the transformative 
laws that we passed in the last Congress and the efforts now to ensure 
that these investments in America are investments in every community, 
in every corner of our country.
  In our region, we are already seeing the impact of the Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act, the Chips and Science Act, the Inflation 
Reduction Act, and so much more.
  I was glad to work with my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus 
on these bills and, of course, to vote for them and to see President 
Biden sign them into law because they have the purpose and the effect 
of ensuring that the United States remains a beacon of excellence in 
science and technology and engineering and innovation with the 
infrastructure in place to support that work, to ensure that the things 
that we dream up, we make right here at home.
  I am so glad to report that the Invest in America agenda is 
mobilizing historic levels not only of Federal investments but also of 
private-sector investments in the United States, bringing manufacturing 
back to America.
  Just last month, while I was home, I got to join in a ribbon cutting 
at a new Igloo cooler distribution facility in my region because they 
were producing so much--16 million coolers annually--that they needed 
to expand production space and create new storage and shipping space.
  That is not surprising. At the end of last year, American 
manufacturing growth began outpacing the rest of the world.
  Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in July showed that 
Region 6 is at the heart of that growth. In Arizona, LG Energy is 
quadrupling its initial planned investment to $5.5 billion to build a 
new plant outside of Phoenix that will produce enough batteries to 
power 350,000 electric vehicles per year.
  So far, companies have committed to invest more than $58 billion in 
the Grand Canyon State since President Biden took office. In New 
Mexico, Intel is investing $3.5 billion to expand manufacturing of 
advanced semiconductor technology at its Rio Rancho campus, creating an 
expected 700 new jobs. Companies have committed to invest more than $6 
billion in the Land of Enchantment.
  In Texas, Samsung has announced plans to build a $17 billion 
semiconductor fabrication plant. Just up the road, Texas Instruments is 
in the early stages of a $30 billion CHIP project. So

[[Page H4289]]

far, six projects totaling $61 billion in investments are expected to 
create 8,000 new jobs in Texas alone.
  Since the Chips and Science Act was introduced, more than 50 new U.S. 
semiconductor projects have been announced, totaling more than $210 
billion in investments. We are just getting started.
  I look forward to continuing the work with my colleagues on the 
Regional Leadership Council and President Biden and his administration 
to continue to invest in America and to ensure that these laws benefit 
all Americans--not blue States, not red States, but the United States. 
We are putting people over politics.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts 
(Mrs. Trahan).

  Mrs. TRAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for 
his decision to highlight the unprecedented investment being made in 
regions across our country.
  Over the past 2 years, every single State across New England has 
benefited mightily from President Biden's Invest in America agenda. We 
have heard already from my esteemed colleagues on the Regional 
Leadership Council about the lifesaving healthcare savings that 
families are starting to feel, the good-paying manufacturing jobs we 
are creating, and the tremendous strides we are making to close the 
digital divide.
  Each of those is being felt on the ground in my home State of 
Massachusetts and in every State in the region. Tonight, however, I 
would like to focus on a singular issue that has disproportionately 
improved the lives of almost every family in New England--President 
Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law.
  Mr. Speaker, New England is home to some of the oldest roads and 
bridges in our Nation. In fact, the bridge where the ``shot heard round 
the world'' was fired in Concord, Massachusetts, in the district I have 
the honor to represent, is still standing to this day. Battle Road, 
which connected Concord to Lexington nearly 250 years ago, is 
memorialized for folks across the country to come and experience for 
themselves.
  Of course, not every single bridge or road is that old, but there are 
thousands of these critical pieces of infrastructure across New England 
that are decades or even centuries old. Due to year after year 
divestment from Washington, State and local governments have struggled 
to keep up with increasing repair costs for a long time.
  Mr. Speaker, this was a problem I saw play out firsthand as a kid 
growing up in Lowell. The State came in and built what was supposed to 
be a temporary bridge, the Rourke Bridge, over the Merrimack River. The 
plan was to come back and replace the bridge in a few years, but that 
never happened. The temporary Rourke Bridge is still standing, albeit 
hardly, 40 years later.
  Until we took up and passed the bipartisan infrastructure law, there 
was no telling if and when it was ever going to be replaced, but this 
landmark legislation is delivering $150 million to finally get this 
project done. That is the kind of impact this once-in-a-generation 
investment is having in communities across New England.
  In Woodstock, New Hampshire, the Green Bridge on Route 175 was one of 
the first projects in the country to receive funding from the 
infrastructure law.
  In New London, Connecticut, over $320 million in Federal funding is 
supporting the rehab of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge on I-95, a 
critical corridor that supports more than 42,000 vehicles each day.
  Mr. Speaker, by the time the bipartisan infrastructure law has 
allocated its last dollar in 2027, it will have improved the lives of 
every single American. It will have made thousands of roads and bridges 
safer for parents to get their children to school on time. It will 
shorten commutes, giving workers back precious time from each evening 
to spend with their loved ones. It will have reduced car maintenance 
costs caused by crater-sized potholes that are the bane of every 
family's existence.
  This is the kind of progress Presidents of both parties have promised 
for decades but failed to deliver. However, President Biden and the 
Democrats in Congress got it done. Bridges large and small, from the 
iconic Golden Gate to the Basiliere Bridge in Haverhill, Massachusetts, 
are finally going to be completed because of it.
  I am proud of the work we did with President Biden to pass his Invest 
in America agenda, and I look forward to work ahead as a member of the 
Regional Leadership Council under Chairman Hoyer's tremendous 
leadership to make sure the bipartisan infrastructure law is 
successfully implemented.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. 
Kelly), a member of the Regional Leadership Council.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hoyer for his 
leadership, and I am a very proud member of the Regional Leadership 
Council, Region 4.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge one of the largest public 
health threats facing our Nation. Our Nation's children are returning 
to school and all they should be worried about is acing their next 
test. Instead, too many children live in fear of the constant threat of 
gun violence.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.

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