Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, roads, bridges, and railroads are crumbling all across America. In North Carolina, which used to be known as the ``good roads'' state, over 5,500 bridges are structurally unsound, and poor roads cost drivers $1.5 billion a year. That's why I am so frustrated that instead of seizing the opportunity to build a viable transportation system with a long-term highway-transit bill, Republican leaders have instead elected to once again kick the can down the proverbial road and forgo critical repairs and safety improvements, to say nothing of new construction.

Despite these grave reservations, I will vote for today's 5-month extension because I believe it will allow congressional leaders to negotiate the comprehensive transportation overhaul we so desperately need. However, like President Obama, I will not support future efforts to shirk the responsibility of rebuilding our nation's infrastructure.

Short-term, stop-gap, extension-to-extension governance has become the norm over the past few years, and I'm frankly fed up with it. House Democrats are ready to get serious about making the investments we need to make to thrive as a country--I strongly encourage Republicans to answer the call.

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