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

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. I thank Chairman Mica and Ranking Member Rahall for working together on this bill. This year's transportation bill could be named the Jobs Act of 2012 because it is the only bill from the 112th Congress that will create a significant number of jobs.

A word on a couple of significant provisions. Seldom has a pioneering, landmark bill found its way into a transportation reauthorization bill, but in today's bill is the first bill to set national standards for subway safety, bringing subways in line with all other modes of transportation, which have long had national standards. This is probably the most significant provision of this bill.

The DBE language is tailored to ensure that the government is equipped with the tools it must have to address the compelling need for the government to meet its responsibility to continue to address discrimination in small business contracting.

With all of its shortcomings, and there are many, the American people finally will have a jobs bill from this Congress.

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