[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7042]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HIGHWAY TRUST FUND

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, as was referenced on the floor of the 
House, in 4 legislative days, funding expires for transportation. I 
could actually give my speech from last summer that predicted we would 
be exactly in this spot--nothing changed, more delay.
  There are three things that we can do to fix it:
  Number one, the President ought to issue an absolute deadline that he 
will not sign any extension that passes September 30; 4\1/2\ months is 
enough time for Congress to do its work.
  Second, the Ways and Means Committee should get down to work with a 
series of hearings involving the people who actually do this out in the 
real world--contractors, business, unions, local governments. For the 
first time in 55 months, let's have those hearings.
  And finally, let's have action on legislation that I have introduced, 
a gas tax increase for the first time in 22 years, similar to what has 
happened in Georgia, Utah, Idaho, Iowa, South Dakota--Republican red 
States. If they can step up and take their responsibility, maybe 
Congress can do that in the next 4\1/2\ months.

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