[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. WELCH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, as you know, in 4 days, our transportation 
fund will expire. This will be the 34th time in the past 6 years that 
Congress has failed to pass a long-term transportation funding bill.
  We all know that our highways, our bridges, our airports, and our 
railroads are being neglected. We have got 20th century infrastructure 
with a 21st century economy. It is absolutely irresponsible for 
Republicans and Democrats--for the House of Representatives--to fail to 
pass a long-term transportation fund.
  Potholes don't fix themselves, and we have got potholes in red States 
and in blue States. We also have, in all of our States, good, hard-
working Americans who could be put to work if we would give that long-
term funding.
  You know, you can't build a bridge with 2-month funding increments. 
So in addition to a lack of money, there is a lack of certainty. It is 
not because there aren't solutions. We have got good proposals from 
Republicans. We have got good proposals from Democrats. But we need a 
decision.
  We are not grasping for a new policy. And the thing that is 
unacceptable is for Congress not even to have a discussion about what 
will be the source of that funding. We should not extend another short-
term highway fund. We should do our jobs and fully fund it.

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