[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H4592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE
(Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to address
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, when creating the National
Highway Program, President Eisenhower wrote to Congress: ``The uniting
forces of our communication and transportation systems are dynamic
elements in the very name we bear--United States.''
Nearly 70 years later, we once again reached a critical moment: Our
aging infrastructure could not meet the modern demands of a united
society--internet access, roads and public transit, clean water.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act did meet that.
As a member of the Regional Leadership Council, I have seen the hard
work of congressional Democrats and President Biden up close: a
fundamental improvement to the very foundations of our country,
including in my home State of Pennsylvania.
In our Commonwealth, we are investing $11 billion in highways and
bridges, public transit and rails, airports, and EV infrastructure;
nearly $2 billion in affordable high-speed internet; and $1 billion in
clean drinking water. Those investments have spurred nearly $3 billion
in commitments from Pennsylvania's private sector.
Together, we are not simply rebuilding. We are reimagining a
stronger, greener future with the collaboration of Federal, State, and
local governments. We are the United States of America.
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