[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1210
                  LET'S BRIDGE THE INFRASTRUCTURE GAP

  (Ms. HAHN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. HAHN. Mr. Speaker, last month we saw two bridges in this country 
collapse in 1 week. If that fact doesn't get us to act, maybe this one 
will:
  According to the Federal Highway Administration, over 70,000 bridges 
nationwide have been ``deemed structurally deficient.'' That's one in 
nine bridges.
  Congress can't continue to kick this can down the road on this 
critical issue. That's why I've called on my colleagues on the 
Transportation Committee to hold hearings to focus on the state of our 
Nation's bridges.
  Last week we had the Special Freight Transportation Panel in southern 
California on a 3-day fact-finding trip to see how businesses rely on 
our transportation arteries, bridges, highways, ports to grow and 
sustain the trade industry and our global economy.
  When we invest in our infrastructure, we create a future with good-
paying jobs; a strong, thriving economy; and an efficient, safe 
transportation system.
  We have Americans who need work. We have an infrastructure that needs 
fixing. Let's bridge that gap.

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