[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11619]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR HIGHWAY TRUST FUND

  (Mr. GALLEGO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge the Republican leadership to 
bring up a long-term funding transportation bill.
  Rather than develop a long-term strategy, Republicans again want to 
pass a short-term extension for the highway trust fund that fails to 
make the appropriate infrastructure investments that our economy needs.
  Our Nation's infrastructure is in a bad state, and it is critical 
that we make the necessary long-term, predictable investments in our 
country's roads, transit system, and highways that will create jobs, 
grow our economy, and offer a certainty for States to invest in larger, 
much-needed projects.
  Mr. Speaker, 42 State chambers of commerce agree that ``Our 
deteriorating national infrastructure is an issue that directly affects 
our ability to compete in the global marketplace and provide financial 
security for millions of middle-class American families.''
  It is time for the Republican leadership to stop kicking the can down 
the road with short-term fixes that are costing us more money in the 
long run, hurting our economy, and costing jobs.
  I call on Republican leadership to bring up a long-term funding bill 
and stop playing games with America's crumbling infrastructure.

                          ____________________