Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Engineers Week
Floor Speech
Supporting The Goals And Ideals of National Engineers Week -- (House of Representatives - February 11, 2009)
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Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting me to speak on this resolution as I appreciate his leadership in these areas.
As I listened to my colleague a moment ago conclude her comments, one could be confused a little bit about why we are here. We are here celebrating the engineering profession. But it is interesting in the context of stimulating the economy and rebuilding and renewing America the role that our engineers have played. Just last week, the American Society of Civil Engineers introduced their report card. Every 5 years they provide a snapshot of the role that infrastructure plays in this country. Last week, their report card graded infrastructure in the United States as a D. And the gap of meeting the infrastructure needs just for the next 5 years has increased from $1.6 trillion to $2.2 trillion.
I have appreciated over the years working with the engineering profession. One of the most rewarding portions of my career was 10 years as Portland, Oregon's Commissioner of Public Works, where working with people in the engineering profession to deal with long-term value, environmental protection, and the infrastructure for transportation, safety, environmental protection are invaluable.
For us to take a little time recognizing on the floor of the House the role that this profession has played in helping us do our job, if each Member of this body would spend time at home working with their local engineers, thinking about the challenges that they face with clean air, clean water and transportation in their own communities, they would have greater confidence in coming back and supporting a robust economic stimulus package, but one that deals with the future of this country.
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Mr. BLUMENAUER. I hope that people take the time to listen to the men and women who are working with local business and with local governments to understand the fix that we are in. If we're ever going to restore a robust economy and prepare with protecting the future of the planet while we deal with the liveability of our communities now and making our families safe, healthy and economically secure, it will be in large measure because we're able to link with and to utilize the power of this profession, people who are there working with us to try and get it right.
So I rise in support of this resolution. I salute the engineers that I have had the privilege to work with over the years. And I strongly urge my colleagues not just to vote for the resolution, but to go home and work with and listen to the engineers at home, because they have got a prescription for restoring our economy, rebuilding America's future and making all our families safer, healthier and more economically secure.
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