Make the Investment Our Economy Needs

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, the financial research firm of Standard & Poor's reports that for every $1.3 billion invested in our infrastructure, 30,000 American jobs are created; it adds $2 billion in economic growth; and reduces deficit by more than $200 million.

Economists at the Council on Foreign Relations explained that ``the compelling case is that a dollar in on a macro basis in our economy results in more than a dollar out;'' which is to say, Mr. Speaker, that to shortchange infrastructure is to reject and undermine economic growth in this country.

Policies that create growth and reduce the deficit should be embraced by everybody, including conservatives. Indeed, it was the Republican President Eisenhower who initiated the National Highway System, and the Chamber of Commerce is a leading voice in calling for infrastructure spending today.

I urge this body to embrace sound economics and the tradition of bipartisan support for infrastructure spending, and make the investment that our Nation needs to nation-build, not in Afghanistan, not in Iraq, but right here at home in America.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source