Investing in the United States

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Cartwright for yielding, and I thank him for outlining some of the many benefits to climate in this bill because for my adult children and so many of the college students in my district, their number one issue is finally taking meaningful action to address climate change.

But these bills do so much more than that. After more than 50 years of failed trickle-down economics and unfulfilled promises to prioritize our Nation's infrastructure, the last administration decided to punt on infrastructure and double down on giveaways to the rich by passing yet another tax cut for the ultra-wealthy. What did that get us? Widening income inequality, a shrinking middle class, crumbling roads and bridges, and increased corporate welfare.

For too long, America's economic policy has revolved around support for the rich and powerful rather than working people. With President Biden, we are ready to change that.

I am proud to be part of a Congress that is prioritizing the American people.

In partnership with the Biden administration, Democrats in Congress have set out to offer the greatest potential for American families and American small businesses to achieve prosperity and the American Dream in half a century. We need both the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Build Back Better Act to meet that potential and deliver a fairer, more balanced economy that works for all Americans.

After too many infrastructure weeks to count, Congress will soon deliver an infrastructure bill to the President's desk that creates economic opportunity for all Americans in the 21st century and beyond.

My district, Pennsylvania's Fifth, is home to Philadelphia's airport, port, and rail yard; miles and miles of interstate highways and passenger rail lines; and regional commuter and light-rail lines that link Philadelphia and its suburbs. Our infrastructure is aging, heavily used, and, in many cases, beyond its usable lifespan. Anyone who has been stuck in traffic or a pothole on the Schuylkill Expressway, the Blue Route, or I-95 knows how important an infrastructure bill is to our region.

State and local governments in Pennsylvania and across the country simply don't have enough money to meet basic maintenance needs, much less to invest in modernization, expansion, or other improvements to our national infrastructure. That is precisely why the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is so critical for my district and our national economy.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will fix our ailing roads and bridges and fund improvements to other critical infrastructure at our port and airport. These upgrades are essential to maintain our region's position as a logistics hub on the East Coast and to ensure America's competitiveness in a global economy.

America can't engage in international trade if it can't get goods in and out of the country or across the country due to crumbling infrastructure and related backlogs in processing.

The COVID pandemic brought into sharp focus how essential the internet is for Americans to work or find employment, to participate in remote learning, to access healthcare, to stay connected with friends and family, and to carry out any number of basic activities in the 21st century. Yet, millions of Americans live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure, or they can't afford it.

Our infrastructure bill will expand broadband access for millions of Americans, including many of my constituents. In addition to investing in broadband infrastructure, the bill will also lower prices for internet service and create a permanent program to help more low-income households access the internet.

Much like the Federal Government's efforts to provide electricity to every American nearly a 100 years ago, this effort will be transformative. It will drastically improve the ability for all Americans, no matter where they live or their income level, to access services and opportunities that are essential to modern life.

Another aspect of the infrastructure bill that is important for my district is the funding it provides for climate resiliency, particularly flooding. Communities like Eastwick, and economic engines like the Philadelphia airport, are especially vulnerable to climate change. We have seen the damage done by flooding, hurricanes, and even--astonishingly, in southeastern Pennsylvania--tornadoes.

Sadly, these extreme weather events are only getting worse. Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make our communities safer and our infrastructure more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

But fixing our Nation's physical infrastructure can only take us so far. The bipartisan infrastructure bill creates jobs that will provide new opportunities and reduce costs for many Americans, but it won't change the calculus for the working mom or dad who can't find adequate childcare for their kid. It won't improve our schools or prepare for the future, and it won't reduce the spiraling cost of prescription drugs.

All of these factors are holding back families from fully participating in our economy, and in turn, preventing them from buying homes and building wealth for retirement. Without addressing the failings of our ``human infrastructure,'' a majority of Americans-- particularly women and people of color--will continue to be held back. That is why we need universal pre-K, better access to affordable childcare, a dependable system of care for our seniors, and investments in higher education and workforce training.

The Build Back Better Act will lower the cost of things that keep families up at night, while also delivering a massive tax cut for the middle class through the expanded child tax credit and the earned income tax credit--giving the middle class more breathing room. That is what my constituents need.

Already this year, through the American Rescue Plan that we passed in March, we have seen the child tax credit benefit 126,000 children in my district alone. That is 76,000 families who got extra help for essentials like childcare, food, and diapers--much less paying for school clothes, extracurricular sports, or putting something aside for college.

By making the most significant investment in children and caregiving in generations, we are helping individual families and the country as a whole. Because people--particularly women--can get back to work when they know that their family members are cared for. And ensuring access to quality daycare and preschool sets children up for success, making them more likely to graduate, pursue higher education, hold jobs, pay taxes, and have higher earnings.

In addition to increasing the maximum for Pell grant awards, the Build Back Better Act expands opportunities for Americans to participate in job training programs that prepare them for careers in fast-growing sectors. This bill is going to help the working people in PA-05 and across the country.

It will help families like the one I met in Media--a mom who was beaming about her son's good-paying, new job at the Philadelphia shipyard, which he got after completing the Maritime Career Development Program at Delaware County Community College. It will help low-income workers in my district who work two or more jobs every day but still can't make ends meet.

It will help families that struggle to pay for the prescription drugs that keep them alive without forcing them to choose between forgoing medication or housing or heat or food. And the best part, the Build Back Better bill is paid for by making those at the top pay their fair share for a change.

Madam Speaker, 17 Noble Prize-winning economists recently wrote in support of this legislation, ``Because this agenda invests in long-term economic capacity and will enhance the ability of more Americans to participate productively in the economy, it will ease longer-term inflationary pressures.''

We have the chance to set a new path that creates real, sustained economic growth and benefits everyone, not just multimillionaires and real estate developers. It is time to get this done for the American people.

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Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I have heard of other States that have that problem. I heard Kentucky has a bridge that is out right now that is desperately in need of repair.

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