[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13423]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               DRIVE ACT

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am pleased by Senate passage today of 
the DRIVE Act, a long-overdue, multiyear surface transportation bill to 
authorize and fund our Nation's highway, bridge, and transit programs. 
This bill would provide the certainty needed for State and local 
planning organizations to set transportation priorities and begin long-
term investments to modernize our Nation's aging infrastructure.
  This bill is also a win for the State of Arizona. Included in the 
DRIVE Act are critical measures, sponsored by myself and Senator Flake, 
that would pave the way for the establishment of the Sonoran Corridor 
and the future Interstate 11, I-11, ensuring Arizona has the critical 
infrastructure it needs to develop significant international trade 
routes for the Western United States. These provisions would designate 
the Sonoran Corridor as a future interstate to connect I-19 to I-10 
south of the Tucson International Airport and extend the future I-11 
through the State of Nevada to I-80 and south toward Arizona's southern 
border.
  As the population in Arizona continues to grow and innovative 
businesses increasingly settle in our State, we must ensure that we 
have the infrastructure in place to foster economic development, 
international trade and job creation. These two top-priority 
transportation projects will make Arizona a key part of an 
international trade route that reaches all the way to the southern 
border. I appreciate Chairman Inhofe's support of these important 
provisions, as well as Senator Flake, Governor Doug Ducey and leaders 
from across the State of Arizona for their strong partnership in 
advancing these designations that will connect Arizona businesses and 
communities to major domestic and international trade partners.
  I am proud of the bipartisan effort that went into this bill. It is 
unfortunate that we ultimately had to pass yet another short-term 
highway extension today to avoid a transportation shutdown across the 
country. This stop-gap measure should be the last. When we return 
following the August break, I urge the House to take up and pass this 
bill and send it to the President's desk for signature.

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