[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19542]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1045
             AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Connolly) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CONNOLLY from Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss 
the continuing success of the Recovery Act in righting our economic 
troubles.
  We know all too well the results of the previous administration's, 
the Bush administration's, lack of oversight in the financial sector 
and lack of focus on the Nation's domestic needs. In December 2007, the 
Nation entered the worst recession since World War II. Almost 7 million 
Americans lost their jobs on the Bush administration watch. Housing 
foreclosures moved to record levels, and millions more struggled to 
keep their homes.
  When Chairman Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, testified 
before the House Committee on the Budget in June, he stated that the 
Recovery Act, specifically the government funding for infrastructure, 
has had a positive effect on the economy, without which we would be in 
worse trouble than we are now. Imagine, Madam Speaker, that when 
critically needed transportation and other infrastructure projects 
receive funding, they actually create jobs, putting Americans back to 
work.
  Chairman Bernanke also remarked that but for government action the 
Nation was mere days away from a collapse of the financial sector last 
fall. For those who have lamented the government's involvement, I would 
ask if collapse and the chaos that would have ensued would have been 
preferable to the actions that were taken.
  The last time I discussed the Recovery Act on this House floor, I 
mentioned its positive impact in my district, specifically on the 
Greater Prince William County Community Health Center. Because of the 
Recovery Act, we're going to be able to keep that center open. We're 
going to be able to create new jobs and keep people working. We're 
going to be able to serve a population that otherwise would not have 
access to health care in my district.
  Today, I want to discuss another positive aspect of that act on a 
number of critically needed transportation projects in my district.
  The Recovery Act provided funding to expedite construction of the 
Dulles Metrorail project, one of the largest transit extensions in the 
United States currently. This extension has been in the works for 47 
years and will help alleviate our traffic congestion by removing up to 
93,000 vehicles off the roads each day. Although the Federal Government 
previously committed to fund the project, the expedition of the funds 
made possible by the Recovery Act will allow us to save $15 million in 
project costs. We hope we can accelerate funding even more.
  The Recovery Act not only will allow jobs to be created more quickly 
but also the necessary project work to start faster and get this 
completed earlier than even anticipated.
  The Recovery Act also provided funding for the purchase of additional 
buses for the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission in 
Prince William County. That funding will provide vital capacity for a 
currently crowded system, allowing workers a greater opportunity for 
commuting choices and taking cars off our congested roadways.
  As the President highlighted when he visited Springfield, Virginia, 
in my district to announce the project's funding, the Recovery Act also 
provided funds for the completion of the long-awaited Fairfax County 
Parkway waiting decades to be completed. And thanks to the Recovery 
Act, we're going to be able to complete that parkway and make vital 
connections with Fort Belvoir, which was greatly expanded under the 
base realignment and closure process making it one of the largest 
employers in the region.
  While the recovery is by no means out of the woods, we are beginning 
to see positive signs of recovery. The stock market's risen 40 percent 
since March. Although the total number of unemployed remains high, new 
filings for unemployment claims have, in fact, come down.
  Retail sales rose 0.5 percent in May and 0.6 in June, the fourth 
month this year with gains. Consumer confidence is at a 9-month high. 
The meltdown in the housing market was one of the leading causes of the 
recession, and it's encouraging to see that housing starts in May were 
up 17.2 percent over April, and new housing sales, just released 
yesterday, are up 11.2 percent.
  During the traditional business cycle over the past decades, 
recessions have tended to last 9 months. Madam Speaker, this recession 
began in December of 2007, 14 months before President Obama took 
office. While no one solution will cure the recession overnight, the 
Recovery Act is one piece of the mosaic of actions this Congress has 
undertaken to restore our Nation's economic health and protect the 
well-being of the American people. Through the Recovery Act we have 
seen the positive results of our action, and we have been creating jobs 
in the 11th District of Virginia, providing critically needed 
transportation improvements to our region and putting our people to 
work.
  I commend my colleagues for their support of this legislation and 
protecting the interests of all Americans.

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