Conference Report on H.R. 4348, Moving Ahead for Congress in the 21st Century Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4348. While this is not a perfect bill, it will fund important transportation projects while creating well-paying jobs across this country.

H.R. 4348 will reauthorize through the end of fiscal year 2014 our highway and transit programs at current levels--$105 billion. While I am disappointed in this short-term reauthorization, I do believe this authorization will provide some stability to our state and local governments. We know that for every $1 billion of federal funds invested in our highway and transit infrastructure nearly 39,000 jobs are created or sustained. This investment will give our transportation industry the ability to continue to create thousands of jobs across our country.

I am also extremely pleased that all states will be guaranteed a minimum rate of return of 95 percent on their payments into the Highway Trust Fund. During the last reauthorization I worked hard with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to increase Michigan's rate of return to 92 percent, and I am pleased to be able to support increasing it once again. This bill will continue the Safe Routes to School program, and the transportation enhancement activities such as bike paths, bike lanes, and trails. This program has been critical to helping communities in my district, like Ann Arbor, to make their communities more livable and attractive to families and businesses, while also greening our environment by providing alternatives for their commute. Furthermore, I am pleased that H.R. 4348 will continue to fund our mass-transit program, providing funding to critical projects that will bring our transit infrastructure into the 21st Century.

I am disappointed that H.R. 4348 did not reauthorize the Coordinated Border Infrastructure program. Michigan was one of the leaders in creating CBIP given its critical relationship with Canada and it has been instrumental in addressing border congestion. It is my hope that we can reauthorize this program in the coming months. Unfortunately, this bill does not include any provisions directing the Department of Transportation to develop a long-term national rail plan. I passed one of the first pieces of legislation authorizing investment in high-speed rail, but there has never been a strong commitment to bringing our rail program into the 21st Century until this Administration. This Administration has wisely invested billions of dollars into bringing highspeed rail travel across the country and to corridors outside the Northeast. By ignoring this goal we are halting the progress of high-speed rail and falling further behind our neighbors abroad.

I would have liked for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, or LWCF, reauthorization and funding to be included in the final bill. LWCF was included in the Senate language with overwhelming bipartisan support and I joined with 145 of my House colleagues requesting the conference committee to include the reauthorization and funding. LWCF develops local partnerships to conserve critical wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing access, state and local parks, productive forests, and important lands to be protected for future generations. I hope the House will give serious consideration to reauthorizing and funding LWCF in the coming weeks.

This bill includes a one-year extension of the 3.4 percent interest rate for subsidized Stafford student loans. I am happy that this is finally being authorized because as we continue to recover economically, we must ensure that students can afford a higher education. There were nearly 48,000 students attending a university or college in my district last year who received one of these loans and doubling the interest rate would have a significant impact on students as they get ready to start the new school year. Our children, 25 percent of our population, are 100 percent of our future. They are counting on us and I am pleased we are now standing up for the future to make higher education and job training affordable.

While we are taking a step forward today, we must start thinking towards next July when this one-year extension will expire. We cannot wait until the last minute to address this issue as we did this year. We must start thinking now about how to deal with this problem. This is not just a campaign talking point, this affects students and families and can be the difference between achieving your goals or being priced out of your dreams.

The Flood Insurance extension is a much needed part of this compromise. As we continue to experience extreme weather across the country, we need to ensure that homeowners with flooded homes can get the help they need to put their lives back together. However, as FEMA works on implementing new floodplain maps, we must ensure that the maps make sense. Homeowners and small businesses in my district are being driven out of the homes and stores due to the high cost of flood insurance that they've never had to pay before. I urge FEMA to continue to work with local governments to address these concerns and keep families in their homes and small businesses open.

I applaud this bill, and I hope my colleagues keep working together in this manner--actually passing bills that make a difference and take action instead of playing political football on issues that do not impact the majority of Americans.

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