Accomplishments of the 117th Congress

Floor Speech

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Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is a delight to be here with Mr. Hoyer and my colleagues tonight.

Last Congress was the most productive Congress since 1964. Democrats in the House and Senate, alongside the Biden administration, invested in America and in our communities.

The scope of the three bills--the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act--is immense for everyone everywhere. Whether your district is red, blue, or purple, these monumental laws will reach you and help transform where you live, where you work, and where you play into something greener and safer.

With the largest investment in our planet in our lifetime, we are reimagining the fight against the climate crisis. That means building more resilient roads and stronger bridges to withstand a changing climate. It means expanding our EV infrastructure. It means manufacturing. In Region 10, which I represent, these dollars will guide us from the Rust Belt to revitalization.

We are seeing this work already. In western Pennsylvania, in Representative Chris Deluzio's district, we have invested $3.5 million to connect Moon Township to a new economic hub that will create 1,900 construction jobs and generate $14 million annually for the community.

In Susan Wild's district in the northeast, we are investing more than $36 million to upgrade roads, highways, and bridges, like Cementon bridge, to better connect the Lehigh Valley.

In the entire southeastern region of Pennsylvania where I am from, we are investing more than $200 million to improve roadways, I-95, 676, the Boulevard, and Route 1. Our Commonwealth is becoming better connected.

The same can be said for West Virginia: $1.6 billion for its roads, bridges, public transit, and so much more, including I-64, connecting West Virginia's two largest cities, Charleston and Huntington, making an hour commute safer and more efficient, making a huge difference for residents, commercial vehicles, and tourists who love West Virginia's wild and wonderful scenery.

The Federal Government is helping to fund an upgrade to I-64 that is long overdue; and because of our work, more than $26 million has already been dedicated to upgrade I-64, U.S. 35, and more to come.

Whether it is U.S. 35 or I-75, Ohio is using this Federal funding to upgrade their roads, as well. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's district celebrated the reopening of DiSalle bridge, a newly built section of I- 75 in Toledo with the help of more than $12 million from the infrastructure law.

In northeast Ohio, my colleague Congresswoman Emilia Sykes' district has seen more than $25 million to upgrade highways, interchanges, and off-ramps.

In Congressman Greg Landsman's district, we are investing $1.6 billion into the Brent Spence bridge, ensuring safety. In a State like Ohio, upgrading roads and bridges means better connections that will grow its economy, ensure safety, and better prepare us for climate change, not just for communities in Ohio but for its neighbors, like Kentucky.

Speaking of Kentucky, it is the number one producer of cars, light trucks, and SUVs in our Nation. It is one of our Nation's leaders in electric vehicle battery parks. Look at that, a so-called red State is leading us in being green. Recently, EV battery plants in Kentucky, alongside neighboring Tennessee, received the largest Federal investment ever made to the auto industry.

Across Kentucky, like in my colleague Congressman Morgan McGarvey's district, officials are committed to smartly serving the growing hybrid and electric vehicle market. It is not just where we are driving, it is what we are driving. It is not only good for our planet, but it is good for jobs. EV manufacturing will provide more than 10,000 jobs for Kentuckians.

Whether a red State or a blue State, we are all in this moment together, a moment where we can once again transform our Nation into a powerhouse of manufacturing. That is what government is about. It is not about bickering or faux impeachment inquiries or shutting the government down. No. What we are doing with this impressive list of investments is showing that government can work and must work for the people, for our planet, and for our children.

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