[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8438-8439]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1210
                THE NEED TO PASS THE TRANSPORTATION BILL

  (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I rise today to speak out about 
the need to pass a transportation bill.
  I am very frustrated by the inaction of the House Republican 
conferees and how their obstructionism is negatively affecting job 
creation in this country. The current transportation extension expires 
at the end of this month. We are in the height of the summer 
construction season, and we are losing the opportunity to get these 
jobs going and the construction and the manufacturing industries back 
to work.

[[Page 8439]]

  One surefire way to create jobs is to invest in our country's 
infrastructure, but House Republicans are obstructing it at every turn. 
Last month, we were forced to pass a 10th temporary extension of 
highway funding because of the GOP's inaction. This is my 20th year 
here, and this is the first time that this bill has been held up 
because of partisanship.
  This inaction only increases the instability for the construction 
industry, and it makes it impossible for State and local governments to 
plan long term.

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