Hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Nelson, Hearing on Connecting America: Improving Access to Infrastructure for Communities Across the Country

Hearing

I'd like to thank all of the witnesses for being here today.

Last night, the president reiterated his call for a trillion dollar investment in our infrastructure.

I agree that it's critical for our economy that we repair and modernize our aging roads, bridges, airports and other vital modes of transportation.

Recently, I joined a number of my Democratic colleagues in introducing an infrastructure plan that could create millions of jobs across the country.

I strongly believe this investment is critical for our country to remain competitive in the global economy.

Sadly, we've seen a significant decline over the years in funding at all levels of government to keep our infrastructure from falling into disrepair.

Whether it's congestion on our highways, bottlenecks at our ports and on our rail lines, the intensifying impacts of climate change, or aging infrastructure that threatens our ability to get people to work, the numbers aren't looking good.

The American Society of Civil Engineers graded our infrastructure at a D+.

The Road Builders found that there are 56,000 structurally deficient bridges nationwide, including more than 200 in Florida.

The bad news doesn't end there.

As we will hear from Mayor Levine, climate change is undermining existing infrastructure in our cities already.

The main arteries of commerce--roads and pipes--are failing and rising seas, nuisance flooding, and saltwater intrusion accelerate the damage.

Not to mention the need to factor in climate change projections when planning the infrastructure of the future.

Rain-related flooding events in Southeast Florida have increased by 33 percent and tide-related flooding has increased by a whopping 400 percent.

Let me tell you, this is not good for business.

In 2015 alone, the Miami area experienced a record 18 tidal flooding events.

To address this economic and environmental crisis, Miami Beach, under Mayor Levine's leadership, has launched a 400-million-dollar effort to raise sidewalks, install pumps, and rebuild roads at a higher level.

But we need to take action at the federal level.

It requires a strong, dedicated commitment from the federal government to keep these networks in tip top shape and make sure they are safe and ready for the future.

It also requires funding.

Local governments cannot be expected to face this challenge alone.

Federal agencies provide essential tools to help communities plan infrastructure that is built to last.

While some have suggested that loans and financing are a silver bullet, they are just tools.

And these tools are useless, if you don't first have significant funding.

That's why the Democratic plan I sponsored calls for direct federal investment.

We can't toll our way out of our infrastructure problems.

We need to invest funding to help build critical projects that are going to prepare our states and communities for the future like the resilience initiatives discussed by Mayor Levine, repairing the Herbert Hoover Dike in Florida, or building new rail lines and airports.

And it is essential that any investment in new infrastructure ensure that the project is designed to withstand future climactic conditions.

Further, we also need to address our broadband infrastructure.

?That is why the Democratic Blueprint included 20 billion dollars to help the nation expand access to essential high-speed broadband services, close the digital divide, and push the economy forward.

Even more significantly, a portion of those monies would be used to upgrade the nation's aging 9-1-1 infrastructure to Next Generation 9-1-1 -- a national imperative to keep our citizens safe and enhance public safety.

Federal funding could help support critical projects like these across the country.

These kinds of infrastructure investments have lasting impacts on our economy for decades to come.

I look forward to hearing from the panel on how federal investments can help improve our infrastructure.

I want to especially thank Mayor Levine from Miami Beach for being here today.

Source