Highway Trust Fund

Floor Speech

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Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, as you know, in 4 days, our transportation fund will expire. This will be the 34th time in the past 6 years that Congress has failed to pass a long-term transportation funding bill.

We all know that our highways, our bridges, our airports, and our railroads are being neglected. We have got 20th century infrastructure with a 21st century economy. It is absolutely irresponsible for Republicans and Democrats--for the House of Representatives--to fail to pass a long-term transportation fund.

Potholes don't fix themselves, and we have got potholes in red States and in blue States. We also have, in all of our States, good, hard-working Americans who could be put to work if we would give that long-term funding.

You know, you can't build a bridge with 2-month funding increments. So in addition to a lack of money, there is a lack of certainty. It is not because there aren't solutions. We have got good proposals from Republicans. We have got good proposals from Democrats. But we need a decision.

We are not grasping for a new policy. And the thing that is unacceptable is for Congress not even to have a discussion about what will be the source of that funding. We should not extend another short-term highway fund. We should do our jobs and fully fund it.

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