Providing for Consideration of H.R. Investing in A New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Morelle for yielding to me, and I second his remarks regarding Russian bounty. I am proud to rise in support here today of H.R. 2.

H.R. 2 will make meaningful, long-overdue investments in our roads, bridges, airports, ports, and transportation systems. It will invest billions in zero-emission, and modernize road systems to reduce gridlock, something we can all cheer about in my district.

This is game-changing, economy-altering legislation. So when I hear my colleagues talk about the price tag on a bill like this, I have to wonder where exactly they think this money is going. This bill invests directly in American families, in workers, and in the communities in which we live.

Stakeholders in my district have been crying out for a comprehensive infrastructure bill for years. I represent Pennsylvania's Fifth District, which is the gateway to the Philadelphia region. My district is home to the Philadelphia port and shipyard, home to one of the busiest airports in the country, home to the Eastern Seaboard's passenger and freight rail lines, plus commuter rails, streetcars, subways, and a network of interstate bridges and roads, all of which are in serious need of upkeep.

But this bill is not just about the concrete that will be poured to fix potholes or the steel used to renovate a bridge. It is an investment in the American people at a time when it is needed most.

H.R. 2 will provide good-paying, stable jobs that can support American workers and their families. At a time when we are facing double-digit unemployment in the United States, a massive investment in our people is exactly what we need.

This bill will put people back to work, prevent further erosion of our environment, and give children and families the support they desperately need.

In doing so, this bill lays down the important principle that when we invest in our infrastructure and our economy, we must do so in a way that builds for the 21st century and beyond rather than trying to re- create an unsustainable or inequitable past.

H.R. 2 also includes one of my priorities, the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act, which will invest $130 billion into rundown, obsolete, and often dangerous school facilities that pose risks for students, teachers, and staffs.

Many of the communities I represent are in dire need of these funds, and I would be willing to bet that many of your communities are as well.

This isn't an urban vs. rural issue. Public schools nationwide have been underfunded for decades, and our children have paid the price.

In the last 18 months and before being sworn in, in my prior career, I had visited far too many schools that lack basic facilities, like working water fountains, space for physical education, or a library. I have visited schools that have crumbling plaster and lead paint on the walls and asbestos in the insulation, schools that have exposed radiators and pipes in classrooms that can give a child second-degree burns. This legislation is critical, and I am proud to support it.

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