Revitalizing Our Economy

Floor Speech

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, the challenge for all America, not just the new administration and Congress, but our communities, our businesses, especially American families, is how to revitalize our economy. There is a great deal of contention occasionally here in Washington, D.C. about the best approach, but this problem takes on a new urgency as the experts now tell us that while the economy appears to be recovering, the jobs aren't: A jobless recovery, posing special problems for Americans from coast to coast.

But beyond the problems with the economy, there are serious issues dealing with the state of repair of America; our electrical grid is inadequate and unreliable, too many roads and bridges are in serious disrepair, and there are problems with inadequate or nonexistent sewage collection and leaking water mains. And there is environmental damage in sites from coast to coast with Superfund, brownfields, even unexploded ordnance and military toxics on military defense locations.

The opportunity and the challenge is to combine the problems with the economy with what we need to do to rebuild and renew America. Luckily, this is a solution that is overwhelmingly supported by the vast majority of Americans--Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. This is a solution that in times past has been able to bring together people in Congress to deal with the revitalization of our infrastructure.

We have opportunities right now. There is pending a reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act. If Congress acts, and the administration signs it, this could mean 6 million jobs revitalizing transportation from coast to coast, border to border.

I have legislation, House bill 3202, a water trust fund, that would enable communities to deal with serious problems like leaking water mains. We lose 6 billion gallons of water a day, enough to fill Olympic size swimming pools from here to Pittsburgh. Coincidentally this bill can help fix these problems while putting hundreds of thousands of more Americans to work dealing with those problems.

The administration has requested, and we have introduced, legislation to reintroduce the Superfund tax to deal with the problems of Superfunds again that are found in every State of the Union. Left unattended, the pollution actually gets worse and migrates, becoming more expensive to clean up over time. This is an opportunity to solve the environmental problem and return this land to productive use.

This is something that America supports. The time for the Obama administration and this Congress to unite on a vision to rebuild and renew America is now, to enact it into law and provide appropriate funding. This action will pay dividends to Americans for decades to come, making our communities more livable and our families safer, healthier, and more economically secure.

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