[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 184 (Tuesday, November 7, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5470-H5471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank President Joe Biden for 
the investment of $1.2 trillion--that is right, Mr. Speaker--trillion 
with a t, of the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
  We hear a lot of noise from the other side every single day, but when 
we see those shovels going in the ground and when we see those major 
projects coming forward across the Nation, those same Members that are 
making noise on the other side of the aisle will show up to the ribbon-
cutting, Mr. Speaker, and some of them may be there to take credit for 
the project.
  The biggest investment in the history of our Nation with regard to 
infrastructure and jobs. It is not just infrastructure; it is an 
economic development machine that will generate hundreds of thousands, 
if not millions, of jobs across our Nation.
  I thank our President for his investment in our Nation, and 
particularly in the 13th Congressional District, which is an iconic 
district that has Harlem; East Harlem, also known as El Barrio; 
Washington Heights--yeah, some of you may have seen the movie ``In the 
Heights''--Inwood; and the Northwest Bronx. The second phase of the 
Second Avenue subway just kicked off this past weekend.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank our Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, 
for coming to our district to kick off the second phase of the Second 
Avenue subway right in East Harlem. This phase is such an important 
phase for a community that has for far too long been subjected to a 
transportation desert.
  On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit 
Administration stood hand in hand with East Harlem leaders to sign off 
on a $3.4 billion Full Funding Grant Agreement.

                              {time}  1015

  This was part of the capital investment grant program that received

[[Page H5471]]

record funding under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs 
Act. I thank the Secretary for coming to my district.
  The funding will help support a 1.8-mile extension of the Q line. 
Some people seem to think that America cannot build a subway anymore. 
Yes, we can. Yes, we can when we put people over politics.
  This new initiative on the East Side of Manhattan will connect the Q 
line from 96th Street to 125th Street to Harlem and will relieve an 
over-crowded Lexington Avenue line which is the most overcrowded line 
in the Nation, if not the world. It will transport over 200,000 riders 
on a daily basis in the most heavily used transit corridor in America.
  Saturday marked the start of a vibrant economic future for families 
across East Harlem, and we worked with the Charles B. Rangel 
Infrastructure Workforce Initiative at City College that Congressman 
Rangel and I have been working on to ensure that we train those young 
people in our communities so they can have access to prevailing wage 
jobs.
  This project is also called Uptown Grand Central. As you can see, Mr. 
Speaker, we will have a transportation hub that will connect Harlem to 
the rest of the world. You can see the lines here that will go from 
125th Street to 96th Street.
  Now, the first phase went uptown right through the Silk Stocking 
District, the richest ZIP Codes in the country. Maybe they weren't too 
open about the jobs, but we are laser focused on making sure that the 
second phase creates thousands of jobs.
  The first phase created 16,000 jobs and generated $142 million in 
wages and produced $2.87 billion in economic activity during the 
construction. This second phase will lift that district, East Harlem, 
not only producing jobs but injecting oxygen to our economy.
  Yes, we can when we put people over politics.
  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to be here to tell you that this project will 
connect Harlem to the rest of the world. It will connect the Second 
Avenue Subway to the Metro-North line and 14 counties outside of New 
York City.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here to say we have a bright future.

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