Congressional Record
Proceedings, Debates of the U.S. Congress

        

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 16, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other 
     departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes:

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to 
Sections 2202 through 2214 of the bill, which cuts funding for needed 
investments in transportation and infrastructure. These are reckless 
cuts to important programs and place our country's economic recovery in 
jeopardy.
  Specifically, the cuts to transportation and infrastructure funding 
will not only cut jobs, but will curtail investment in our country's 
long-term economic growth.
  Mr. Chair, the best way to reduce the deficit is to put Americans 
back to work. The Republican CR is a job-killing bill that would do 
nothing more than wreak havoc on the American economy and will put us 
at an overall competitive disadvantage.
  The Republican CR cuts almost $18 billion from transportation and 
infrastructure investments alone. Investing in our crumbling 
infrastructure keeps our economy moving forward and puts Americans back 
to work by creating desperately needed jobs in the hard-hit 
construction industry.
  Adopting the GOP Continuing Resolution would result in the loss of 
nearly 300,000 private-sector jobs a figure that is in stark contrast 
to the GOP's commitment to keep job creation their number one priority.
  These reckless cuts to investments in roads, bridges, transit and 
rail will have tremendous consequences to our economic recovery and 
will render us uncompetitive in the global market.
  The cuts to transportation and infrastructure projects include: a cut 
of $1.4 billion in the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund program; a 
$6.3 billion cut in high-speed/intercity rail; a cut of $613 million in 
the Tiger II program; and a cut of $75 million in the Tigger II 
program.
  These draconian cuts to the transportation and infrastructure budget 
will have a tremendous impact on the health and stability of our 
economy. Democrats and Republicans both agree that the Federal 
Government needs to tighten its belt when it comes to spending.
  However, cutting funding to transportation and infrastructure 
programs will curtail the investments that are desperately needed to 
sustain our long-term economic recovery.
  These divisive cuts to critical transportation and infrastructure 
projects will compromise programs that are invaluable to increasing 
efficiency of commerce, reducing fuel consumption, and creating jobs.
  The Republican proposal to cut key funding from the transportation 
and infrastructure budget will undermine the stability that is required 
of long-term transportation projects that require a steady source of 
funding and will eliminate key investments in roads and bridges that 
foster private sector job growth.
  The job-killing Republican Continuing Resolution will rescind $2.5 
billion for high-speed rail projects that have already been awarded. 
These are critical investments for our future.
  Creating efficient and affordable high speed rail line in popular 
transportation corridors, such as the Los Angeles to San Francisco will 
create thousands of jobs, protect our environment and reduce our 
dependence on foreign oil. In California alone, the GOP CR rescinds 
over $1 billion in funding for high-speed/intercity rail. This is 
absolutely unacceptable.
  In addition, the GOP Continuing Resolution would cancel 76 projects 
in 40 states and would cut $234 million that would be used to improve 
our nation's air traffic control system. The Republican proposal also 
threatens adequate funding to wastewater treatment facilities and sewer 
lines putting 40,000 American jobs in jeopardy.
  In California alone, the Republican CR would cut over 40,000 
transportation related jobs. Hundreds, if not thousands, of those jobs 
are sure to be lost in my district.
  This Continuing Resolution would also cut almost $100 million in 
funding to keep our water clean and would reduce funding to the state 
of California for transportation projects by over $1.2 billion.
  This bill does not create jobs, stifles long-term economic growth, 
and puts our country at a competitive disadvantage. This is not what 
the American people want.
  I urge my colleagues to stand with me in opposition to this bill.

                          ____________________