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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2-E3]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REINTRODUCTION OF THE BUILD AMERICA ACT
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HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS
of florida
in the house of representatives
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Build
America Act, legislation that will provide $10 billion annually for
merit-based infrastructure grants across the country. For years, House
Democrats have called for a dramatic investment in infrastructure, and
for years, these call calls have gone unanswered. I am hopeful that
this will be the year that we finally make the investments we need. I
am proud to offer my own legislation today--not for a massive, all-
encompassing infrastructure package--but rather, for a common sense
expansion of successful programs based on need and merit that will
ensure we put money towards the greatest infrastructure needs
regardless of any additional package passed in the House.
My legislation will significantly increase the size and scope of two
existing infrastructure grant programs, the Capital Investment Grant
Program (CIG), also known as New Starts/Small Starts, and the BUILD
Grant Program, formerly known as the Transportation Investment
Generating Economic Recovery Grant Program, or TIGER Grants. These
programs have been immensely successful in the past, assisting rural
and urban communities prioritize their own needs. Each program requires
matching funds from those seeking assistance, making them smart and
effective avenues for leveraging federal funding to make a real impact
across the country.
My bill takes these programs out of the annual appropriations
process. Instead, it establishes them as mandatory programs with
permanent and expanded funding streams totaling more than $10 billion
annually.
This expansion will be welcome news to the thousands of communities
like those I represent. Consider this, Madam Speaker: since
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2009, Congress has dedicated more than $5.1 billion for multiple rounds
of TIGER funding. In FY2015 alone, the program received $10.1 billion
in applications. That's twice the total amount of funding over a 10
year period in just a single fiscal year. The process is competitive,
and it allows the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reward
applicants that exceed eligibility criteria and demonstrate commitments
to their projects.
By increasing these funding levels and removing the programs from the
annual appropriations process, we will take the guesswork and
uncertainty out of the programs. This in turn will allow communities
around the country to submit funding requests for projects of national,
regional, or metropolitan-area significance, including the construction
and repair of roads, bridges, and tunnels, the installation of high
speed internet, revitalization of drinking water infrastructure, and
the construction and expansion of fixed-guideway public transportation
systems, including subways, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid
transit (BRT).
Madam Speaker, we have talked about prioritizing a large-scale
infrastructure package for years. Last Congress, Congressional
Democrats unveiled a trillion-dollar plan to make these investments and
create tens of thousands of jobs. However, like so many other
proposals, it was rejected out of hand by the Republican Majority. We
need to get serious.
Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers' issues a
``Report Card'' for America's Infrastructure. The report depicts the
condition and performance of American infrastructure, assigning letter
grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for
improvement across 16 major infrastructure categories. The most recent
report card was issued last two years ago. Among the national rankings,
transit systems were rated a D- and roads were rated a D.
Dams: D.
Drinking water: D.
Inland waterways: D.
Levees: D.
We need to move this process forward. I urge my colleagues to
consider my bill without delay, so that our country can begin making
the investments it desperately needs.
____________________