Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to join with my colleagues on the House floor to oppose the Majority's efforts to cut funding for high-speed rail. As the Congressman from Memphis, a city that was damaged by historic floods this spring and a city in much need of disaster relief, I applaud the Majority for proposing more than one billion dollars in relief. However, I am disappointed that the Majority has decided to use high-speed rail funding to offset the cost.

I am disturbed by the Majority's decision to reach across jurisdictions and raid funding from the transportation sector, a sector in desperate need of investment. If an offset must be used then it should be from funds within the Energy and Water account. I also find it alarming that the Majority is cutting funds for high-speed rail, a program that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to fund relief for disasters that were exacerbated by climate change. By cutting this funding, we are increasing our greenhouse gas emissions and only ensuring that we will need exponentially more disaster relief in the future.

The United States needs high-speed rail--it is vital to the mobility of our people and to our economic competitiveness. Creating a nation-wide high-speed rail system would be a major economic catalyst that would create thousands of jobs, save billions in congestion reduction, curb our reliance on fossil fuels, reduce harmful pollution, and literally, save lives. Recognizing its enormous benefits, nations across the world are investing billions in high-speed rail and are creating systems that surpass existing U.S. rail service in speed, convenience, reliability, level of service, and comfort.

My Democratic colleagues and I understand the importance of high-speed rail and are fighting for vital funding. President Obama also understands the importance of investing in passenger rail and has set the ambitious goal of providing 80 percent of Americans with convenient access to a passenger rail system within 25 years. To reach this goal, the President has proposed $53 billion over six years to fund the development of high-speed rail and other passenger rail programs as part of an integrated national strategy. I support the President's goal, an important goal that will never come to fruition if the Majority continues to cut high-speed rail funding.

Building a nationwide high-speed rail system is the 21st century equivalent of constructing the national interstate highway system, a project that has transformed the Nation. To create a nationwide rail system, the government is going to need to dramatically increase its rail sector spending. The discrepancy in historical Federal investment between highways, aviation, and intercity passenger rail is staggering. Between 1958 and 2008, we invested nearly $1.3 trillion in our Nation's highways and over $473 billion in aviation. Federal investment in passenger rail pales in comparison: we invested only $53 billion in passenger rail from 1971 to 2008.

The American people recognize the absence of high-speed rail in the American transportation sector and are clamoring for it. Not a day goes by that I am not asked by a constituent about the prospects of bringing high-speed rail to Memphis. And Memphis is now closer than ever to joining the high-speed rail network, since a study I fought to authorize that is examining the feasibility of connecting Memphis to the South Central Corridor is nearing completion. But this important rail line will only be built if the Majority recognizes the obvious value of high-speed rail and transitions from eliminating all funding for high-speed rail development to fighting for additional funding.

Having suffered through historic floods in Memphis this spring, I understand as well as any other member of this body how critical one billion dollars in disaster relief is. But I implore the Majority not to offset disaster relief with high-speed rail funding. We should not be forced to choose between leveraging our Nation's prosperity and paying for essential disaster relief.

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