[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9883 of May 10, 2019

National Defense Transportation Day and National Transportation Week,
2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The capability to move and travel freely and efficiently by land, air,
and sea is critical to our economic strength, vital to our national
defense, and essential to the American way of life. On National Defense
Transportation Day and during National Transportation Week, we recognize
the dedicated professionals who ensure our transportation infrastructure
system is safe, convenient, reliable, and fully prepared to support our
national defense.
America's infrastructure systems help sustain our competitive edge and
military readiness. After many decades of constant and increasing use,
much of our Nation's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair. More than
25 percent of our Nation's bridges are structurally deficient; more than
20 percent of our roads are in poor condition; and drivers lose nearly
$160 billion annually because of congestion and delays. If left
unaddressed by 2025, our Nation's deteriorating infrastructure will
drain our economy of nearly 2.5 million jobs and $4 trillion in gross
domestic product.
As a Nation, we cannot afford to wait additional decades to address
these critical issues and fix our transportation system. Our country
forged its path to global economic dominance through an efficient and
hard-nosed determination to build. In 1933, we summoned our most gifted
engineers and workers to construct the Golden Gate Bridge; they finished
it in 4 years. Three years earlier, in 1930, construction began on the
Empire State Building; it took about 1 year to complete. Decades of
bureaucratic and regulatory roadblocks have sapped us of that zeal to
build. These self-imposed obstacles regularly stall and delay even the
most important of infrastructure projects. The environmental review
process for some improvement projects can take more than 20 years to
complete.
Improving our infrastructure will enhance quality of life, productivity,
and the competitiveness of American workers and families. For this
reason, I have called on the Congress to pass legislation that provides
the funding required to rebuild our roads and bridges. These funds will
catalyze new State and local investments in infrastructure, and focus
resources on rural communities. By repairing our existing infrastructure
and by building bold new projects, we will reduce traffic congestion,
improve road conditions, and boost commerce throughout our country.
We cannot fully tackle our infrastructure needs until we commit to
meaningful regulatory reform. Last year, we made important strides by
establishing a coordinated and timely environmental review process
through the One Federal Decision Memorandum of Understanding. This
policy sets a Government-wide goal of completing Federal environmental
reviews for major infrastructure projects in 2 years--not 10 or 20. We
will move more quickly, ensuring sound environmental, community, and
economic outcomes in the process.

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Finally, maintaining and improving our infrastructure is a matter of
economic and national security. It is central to our ability to
manufacture and export goods, execute emergency responses, achieve
energy independence, and secure our Nation. It sustains our military
readiness and capabilities, facilitating the safe and expeditious
movement of our troops and the transport of their supplies and equipment
to locations in America and around the world. Our men and women in
uniform deserve to be safe and well-stocked as they put their lives on
the line to defend our freedoms and way of life.
To recognize the men and women who work in the transportation industry
and who contribute to our Nation's well-being and defense, the Congress,
by joint resolution approved May 16, 1957, as amended (36 U.S.C. 120),
has designated the third Friday in May of each year as ``National
Defense Transportation Day,'' and, by joint resolution approved May 14,
1962, as amended (36 U.S.C. 133), has declared that the week during
which that Friday falls be designated as ``National Transportation
Week.''
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim Friday, May 17, 2019, as National Defense
Transportation Day and May 12 through May 18, 2019, as National
Transportation Week. I encourage all Americans to celebrate these
observances with appropriate ceremonies and activities to learn more
about how our transportation system contributes to the security of our
citizens and the prosperity of our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP