Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 2353.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 271, I call up the bill (H.R. 2353) to provide an extension of Federal-aid highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and other programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2353, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015. This bill will extend the Federal surface transportation programs for 2 months, through July of 2015.
H.R. 2353 is a clean extension of the surface transportation programs, funded at the authorized amounts for fiscal year 2014. No transfer of funding to the highway trust fund is necessary because the trust fund will remain solvent during the period. However, we will more than likely have to pass another short-term patch before the August recess and take steps to ensure the trust fund remains solvent. I hope all of you will support H.R. 2353.
I have to say, a short-term extension through the end of July was not our preferred path forward. Our hope was to extend the surface programs through the end of the calendar year. That would have ensured reliable funding for the States through the construction season. A longer extension would also have allowed us to focus on finding a long-term funding solution within the context of tax reform without the distraction of needing to address a shortfall in the highway trust fund later this summer. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement on a 7-month extension, and so we are left with a 2-month patch.
Mr. Speaker, we have an immediate, critical need to extend the current surface transportation law. If Congress fails to act, over 4,000 Department of Transportation personnel will be furloughed and the States will not be able to be reimbursed. Transportation projects and jobs across the country will be at risk.
I appreciate Chairman Ryan's attention to this pressing issue, as well as his commitment to addressing the long-term solvency of the highway trust fund. A long-term reauthorization bill will continue to be a top priority for this committee. I look forward to working with Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member DeFazio, and others to achieve a long-term bill.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate the passion of the ranking member, my friend, Mr. DeFazio, on these issues. I have to say that much of what has been said on this floor by both sides, I agree with. The need to invest in our infrastructure is real. It is critical. Our infrastructure is crumbling all around us.
I also agree that we need to find a long-term solution to the trust fund to make sure it is fiscally responsible, and most importantly, I agree that we need to act. This 2-month extension was not my preference. What my preference is, is to buckle down, work hard, find the dollars, and have a long-term surface transportation bill that is sustainable.
Again, I stand here today urging all my colleagues to vote for this essential 2-month extension to get us through to July. I am committed to continue to work to find the solution so we can have a long-term bill, but a vote against this bill is a vote in favor of shutting down these vital programs, stopping the work of thousands of highway projects around the country and laying off thousands of construction workers and Federal employees.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this motion. We certainly know of the tragedy that happened in Philadelphia, in my home State, but this really is not the place to address this.
We need to pass a clean extension. We have got to pass it and get it to the Senate, so we make sure that these vital programs keep people working, we keep projects moving forward, and that they don't shut down.
Again, this is a clean extension. We want it to be a clean extension because we know that time is of the essence to get this over to the Senate, as I said, and pass it. You are talking about 4,000 people in the government that will be furloughed and thousands of workers across America. Projects will stop, and they won't be working.
Again, we have an immediate need to extend the highway transit and safety programs. I am confident and remain committed to working with Chairman Ryan; but this is not the time to slow this down. This the time to get it done so that we can get it to the Senate as quickly as possible.
Again, I am opposed to this motion. I urge a ``no'' vote on the motion and continue to ask my colleagues to support the underlying bill that gets the job done and gets us past this critical time.
I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source