Hire More Heroes Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. Chairman, I am honored to offer on behalf of my State of Texas, our military, and all Americans this amendment to designate the central Texas corridor as the first segment of what I truly believe will be America's next great highway, Interstate 14.

   As Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, General Dwight D. Eisenhower understood the critical importance of a reliable system of high-speed, high-capacity roadways to move across great distances the hardware and personnel that a modern military requires.

   As Commander in Chief, President Eisenhower applied these same principles to his domestic agenda with his championing of the Interstate Highway System. This allows our military to maintain maximum effectiveness and readiness, both in times of peace and in times of crisis. But even President Eisenhower could not have foreseen the incredible impact that the interstate system has had for almost every American family and business on a daily basis.

   Congress should not be in the business of designating a new interstate just because it can. A new interstate should truly serve the national interests on a number of levels. I am pleased to say, though, that the proposal of I-14 does not just meet these requirements; it far exceeds them. There is a reason this interstate already has a nickname, ``Forts to Ports,'' as it provides either direct or very close access for some of our country's most strategically important military and shipping assets.

   I want to be very clear to my colleagues that this amendment that I am offering today only impacts my State of Texas and is just the first step in a long process for establishing a new interstate highway. Even one that builds upon many roadways that are already interstate grade is no small task. It requires buy-in from all the States involved, and the Interstate 14 coalition is working to get the consensus and the support that we have in Texas from all of these State DOTs and other stakeholders.

   Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to adopt my amendment.

   I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams), my friend and colleague, a strong supporter of this amendment and former member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure whose work in years past on this issue has helped lead us to where we are today.

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Mr. Chairman, every one of us on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hears a lot about trucks, bigger trucks and heavier trucks. I think by now it is safe to say that all 435 of us have heard a lot about trucks. It is a tough issue with strong feelings on both sides.

   But this amendment isn't talking about bigger trucks or heavier trucks, as my colleague, Mr. Farenthold, said. All we are talking about here is allowing the State of Texas, through a rigorous licensing and approval process, to keep the same weight limits that are in place right now for certain trucks on certain stretches of our road, not bigger, not heavier, but the same.

   Unless we get this amendment adopted, the new blue signs for Interstate 69 in East Texas won't just mean a new interstate. It could mean financial ruin for our loggers who already have a very thin profit margin and a very tough time for our timber industry.

   It will mean a dramatic decrease in the amount of weight that all the loggers can haul on their trucks, which they have been doing safely and effectively on these roads for generations, even back when these same Texas counties were represented by our colorful Texas Democrat Congressman, Timber Charlie Wilson.

   I am asking all of my colleagues, no matter where you stand on bigger trucks, to join me, Congressman Farenthold, and Congressman Gene Green in supporting this bipartisan amendment to allow the State of Texas to be treated in the exact same way that this same body treated the States of Kentucky and Mississippi just last year and help save these jobs.

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