[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 139 (Monday, September 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            High-Speed Rail

  Madam President, now on high-speed rail, finally, I just came down 
from a great event in Horseheads, NY, in the southern tier of the 
Appalachians, on the New York-Pennsylvania border, where very soon the 
next chapter of American high-speed rail is going to be written. It is 
a historic day for Upstate New York, for the Southern Tier, and for the 
entire country.
  High-speed rail jobs are coming to Horseheads, where Siemens Mobility 
has heeded my call to build a first-of-its-kind manufacturing facility 
in Chemung County. This facility will create up to 300 new, good-paying 
jobs and, more specifically, union jobs.
  Not long ago, high-speed rail seemed like a dream in this country, 
but because of the infrastructure law I led in the Senate, it is 
becoming a reality.
  On the west coast, work is underway to bring high-speed rail to serve 
commuters between Las Vegas and Southern California, thanks to the 
incredible work of my friend Jacky Rosen. To make this project a 
reality, we need a new fleet of state-of-the-art passenger trains that 
can travel up to 220 miles per hour. Siemens Mobility had a number of 
options for where they could manufacture these trains, but I pushed and 
prodded and urged Siemens Mobility to choose Upstate New York to take 
advantage of our great workers and facilities and strong transit supply 
chains. After a lot of pressure, Siemens Mobility heeded my call. To 
the people of the Southern Tier, good-paying rail jobs are on the way.
  I thank President Biden not only for helping us pass the bipartisan 
infrastructure bill but also for overseeing his Cabinet, including the 
great work of the Transportation Department and Secretary Buttigieg, to 
make sure all of our great plans that were passed in that legislation 
are now being implemented. This is one great example.
  Today's announcement is the Democratic agenda in action. This project 
is going to receive billions from the bipartisan infrastructure law of 
the Senate. It is going to take a million cars off the road in the long 
run, and it is going to promote good-paying union jobs.
  The bottom line is this: It is my dream to make New York's Southern 
Tier the No. 1 transit ecosystem in America. Today's announcement helps 
make that dream come true.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.