Hire more Heroes Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Chairman, over 50 percent of all transit
riders in the U.S. travel on buses, but only 10 percent of our transit
funding actually goes to buses. I will say that again. Over half of the
people in this country who use public transportation take buses to get
to work, to the grocery store, to visit family; yet the Federal
Government dedicates less than 10 percent of its transit funds
specifically to buses and to bus facilities.

We are selling communities short, communities like my home in
southwest Washington, but we have an opportunity to rectify the
situation, Mr. Chairman.

While overall transit funding has been steadily increasing, this bill
funds buses in 2016 at, roughly, half of the 2012 levels--that is, Mr.
Chairman, unless you happen to represent one of seven States for which
this bill sets aside, roughly, an additional $272 million a year.

While all 50 States can compete for funds through the nationwide
Competitive Bus Grant program, which is funded at $90 million in 2016
and $200 million each year after, a select few of the northeastern
States get an additional $272 million pot to draw from. That is right,
Mr. Chairman.

These high-density States--Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Delaware--have a special pot of
money set aside for them that averages $90 million more a year than the
nationwide pot that all 50 States compete for. Oh, and those seven
States still get to compete for the nationwide pot.

It is an issue of fairness, Mr. Chairman. The idea that seven States
have available to them more money than all 50 States combined isn't
fair to the communities in my State or in yours or in the other 43
States.

My amendment would simply move the funding from the seven-State set-
aside program into the Competitive Bus Grant program and allow all
States to compete for these much-needed resources.
I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. Mr. Chairman, as was well said, 371 Members of
the House represent people in States that will benefit from this
amendment. By voting ``yes'' for this amendment, 371 Members will have
an opportunity to increase access to important transit funds in their
districts without raising spending levels in the bill.

Even those Members in these high-density States are not losing access
to the funds. The amendment allows all 50 States to compete fairly for
grant funding based on the needs of the area and the merits of the
project.

How can anybody be against this? What is wrong with this?
I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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