Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. Chairman, it is time that we invest in the roads, bridges, and railways that are vital to the economy of this great Nation. Businesses in the Eighth Congressional District need a strong transportation system to send their products across the country.

The companies in my district are investing in their infrastructure, yet our Nation's transportation networks have not kept up. A recent study showed that more than 300 bridges in the Chicago area are structurally deficient. This is simply unacceptable. We need to invest in infrastructure initiatives because all Americans will benefit from the results, be they increases in job opportunities or in shorter drives to work.

That is why I am appalled by the low TIGER funding in this bill as $100 million is nowhere near what my Eighth District and other projects around the country need to get people back to work and our economy moving again. One of these projects is the Fox River Bridge Improvement Project in Elgin, Illinois. This bridge has not been updated for over 80 years and is crucial to the railways of the suburbs of Chicago that transport both commercial freight and commuters. I am disappointed that this bill does not make the investments that will create jobs and make our economy competitive globally.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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