Long Term Funding for Highway Trust Fund

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of a long-term surface transportation bill.

Right now Americans are looking to Congress for REAL bipartisan solutions to fund and upgrade our deteriorating infrastructure system. As hard as it may be, as uncomfortable and contentious as the debates may become, it's time to for us to move past the senseless chatter and to stop kicking the can down the road.

We must get serious about fixing America's infrastructure and establishing long-term funding for the Highway Trust Fund. This is not the time for partisan politics. We need to work together for the benefit of the men and women who sent us here.

Yesterday, the House passed a bill that was nothing more than another ``Band-Aid'' for a much larger problem. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that 1 out of every 9 bridges in the U.S. is structurally deficient, and gave our overall infrastructure a ``D-.''

An alarming 54 percent of all major U.S. roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and these roads account for 1 in 3 fatal traffic accidents. In my home state of Alabama alone, driving on roads in need of repair cost motorists $1.2 billion a year.

Now is the time for a lasting solution to this important issue. Yet, here we are, at the end of May, and we are no closer to crafting a long-term solution to invest in our roads, bridges, and rails than we were this time last year.
The benefits to investing in our highways, bridges, railroads, and other transit systems are clear. By building the infrastructure of tomorrow, we would create thousands of good-paying jobs that help more hard-working Americans earn a living.

A solid transportation system is necessary to quickly move goods, which will help further grow our economy. This is vital if America is to compete in the 21st century global marketplace.

I urge my colleagues to work together to develop a long-term plan that will improve our aging infrastructure, encourage job creation, and strengthen our nation's economic development.

Source