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

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I wish I could say to my colleagues that we were putting our time to good use today, but we all know that we have an incredibly important obligation, and we have got a lot of work to do when it comes to infrastructure.

We need to pass a long-term surface transportation bill to provide States and local communities the certainty to plan and execute highway, bridge, and transit projects across this country.

If we don't do that, or if we pass short-term extensions, it throws their plans into chaos and it jeopardizes needed improvements.

But that is exactly what we are going to do because the infrastructure bill in this entire process got highjacked by a partisan agenda that has more to do with pushing the Green New Deal than it does fixing our infrastructure.

During all my time serving on the committee, Republicans and Democrats have always been able to work out their differences and find common ground to pass a surface transportation bill. We have always been able to do that.

It is the most important legislative product that we produce on the committee, and members have always treated it as such.

Time and again, that has been our committee's hallmark because that is the only road to actually getting something done for the good of our infrastructure, for transportation workers, and for the economy.

But on this bill, that didn't happen. And I can assure you that wasn't my choice. This highjacked process began with a $500 billion my- way-or-the-highway bill developed exclusively by one party.

At a time when entire industries, workforces, and our States still face incredible uncertainty over the COVID pandemic, our committee passed a partisan bill to completely upend the functions and programs of the transportation system.

Then immediately after the committee approved the majority's bill along party lines just over a week ago, the Speaker took the bill and tripled the size with so many air-dropped provisions that the only thing that isn't included is the kitchen sink. But, please, don't quote me on that, Mr. Speaker, because as far as I know the kitchen sink could be funded in this, as well.

Although we do know one green thing that is not in this bill, and that is the money to pay for it. This $1.5 trillion climate bill, camouflaged as an infrastructure bill, piles another mountain of debt onto the backs of future generations.

This irresponsible bill very well might pass the House, but that is as far as it is going to go. The Senate is never going to take up this unserious, progressive wish list. The Speaker may earn praise of her most liberal Members for this bill, but she is failing the American people and wasting the House's time on an issue that we all know could garner bipartisan support.

We could be getting something done to improve America's infrastructure and provide the stability and certainty that workers and stakeholders need right now, if only the Speaker of the majority hadn't unnecessarily chosen partisanship over partnership throughout this entire process.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to oppose this rule.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source