Democrats Delivered on Infrastructure
Floor Speech
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Ms. DEAN. Madam Speaker, I am so excited about this bill that I have gone hoarse talking about it, so I apologize for my gravelly voice, but it is not from any lack of enthusiasm for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is really a jobs bill.
I want to just commend my colleagues from Pennsylvania and from around the country, as we fought for this bill, as we fought for this infrastructure investment, and as we voted on it, and then yesterday had the historic day of watching our President sign it into law.
Madam Speaker, it was 10 years ago that I first ran for public office. I ran for township commissioner, and what I said then was that I wanted to build a more buildable, walkable, commutable, bikeable infrastructure for my older-ring suburb of Philadelphia.
Little did I know that I would then go on to serve as State representative for 6\1/2\ years. My proudest vote as a State representative was Act 89 of 2013, a bipartisan, multiyear investment in our infrastructure. My proudest vote.
And look at us today. We now have the chance to make this much-needed investment in Pennsylvania and across the country in every district where dollars will be flowing to modernize our infrastructure, to make it greener.
Here are just some of the estimates for what will be coming to Pennsylvania:
$11.3 billion to upgrade roads and highways. We know that in my older-ring suburb our highways, our roads are in grave need of upgrading for safety and other purposes;
$2.8 billion for public transportation. Again, in my suburbs, we rely upon public transportation, and we want it to be more reliable so that more people will be using it with ease to protect our climate and our streets;
$1.4 billion in safe drinking water. Again, incredibly important across this country, whether from lead pipes, or from, as in my district and many others, the contamination of PFAS;
$244 million investment in weatherization to our homes;
$1.6 billion toward improving bridges. Pennsylvania sadly has a historic number of bridges in need of reconstruction or replacement;
$100 million to expand broadband access; and
$355 million to modernize airport infrastructure.
There is so much we will be able to do with this bipartisan investment in our infrastructure.
Know also that it is about growing jobs, good jobs, jobs of the future, and it is also anti-inflationary, which is something I know all of my constituents care about.
I will end maybe on my grandchildren. I am so excited, and I will be telling them for years about the chance to work on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the chance to vote for it, and the chance to stand alongside the President as he signed this 50-, 60-year investment in their futures. I hope they will be as proud as I am of the President and all of us for getting it done.
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Ms. DEAN. Certainly.
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Ms. DEAN. I certainly don't know what is in their heart or what is in their vote. But I will say that these were infrastructure investments that these very same Representatives fought for under the previous administration. They enthusiastically embraced week, after week, after week, after week as Infrastructure Week.
I hope this is not the case, but sadly it seems as though the investments in their communities came down to a political choice because, as you have heard some people say--and they complain about this, but it is only testimony to the power of this bill--that this will actually perhaps give Democrats a win.
We didn't do it for a win. We did it for a win for the American people, for our infrastructure, and for our future, but there is some awareness on the other side of the aisle that this is politically damaging to them. Sad to say.
I do believe that it will be interesting to be at all the ribbon cuttings, and I hope in a bipartisan way all Members are at the ribbon cuttings because of the difference this will make, and it will be up to them to decide why they did vote ``no.''
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