Long Term Surface Transportation Bill

Floor Speech

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Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, House Republicans have had more than 4 1/2 years to craft a long-term surface transportation bill. Their dysfunction and inability to govern is starting to have a real impact on hard-working Americans and on our communities.

They continue to lurch from crisis to crisis; meanwhile, our Nation's crumbling roads and bridges--and our economy--suffer as a result. It is like deja vu all over again, another highway deadline this week.

Mr. Speaker, no more short-term month-to-month fixes. Enough is enough. In the last decade, Congress has passed 11 short-term funding bills to keep the highway trust fund solvent. If we are going to pass a long-term solution to rebuild our roads and bridges, it is going to take the courage of our convictions; it is going to take us working together across the aisle to get this done.

Our Nation's roads, bridges, and rails are in an urgent state of repair. One-third of America's roads are in poor or mediocre condition. One out of every four bridge is in need of significant repair.

The House Republican leadership needs to get serious and find a long-term fix to the highway trust fund. Our country relies on it.

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