October 11, 2017

DeFazio: Let’s Stop Talking and Start Investing, It’s Time for This Committee To Take the Lead on Infrastructure

DeFazio: Let’s Stop Talking and Start Investing, It’s Time for This Committee To Take the Lead on Infrastructure

In a hearing, DeFazio blasts Republicans for gutting transportation funds by $254 billion

Washington, D.C. -- Today, the Ranking Democrat of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Peter DeFazio (D-OR), delivered a fiery statement at a hearing of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit titled “Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Highways and Transit Stakeholders’ Perspectives”.

“We are talking about linking America together—a vision that Dwight David Eisenhower had 70 years ago with a national transportation policy. Transportation does not end at state lines. So, we need the federal investment,” said DeFazio.

DeFazio went on to highlight the three, bipartisan infrastructure proposals he has introduced this year that are fully paid-for and would invest over $500 billion in the Nation’s crumbling roads, bridges, transit systems, ports, harbors, and airports.

“We can do this in a bipartisan way, but all we’re doing is talking. That’s all we are doing is just talking while the country crumbles. Let’s get to work. The Republicans took a very substantive step last week on transportation and infrastructure—they cut it $25 billion [per year] in their budget. So why are we even here pretending…It’s time for somebody to take the lead, and this Committee should take the lead. It’s time to put proposals out and force the House to act,” said DeFazio.

To view the full remarks, click here.

To read Democratic background on P3s, Asset Recycling, and Republican budget cuts, click here.

To review DeFazio’s bipartisan infrastructure proposals, click the following links.

Highways and Transit: Investing in America- A Penny for Progress

Harbors and Ports: Investing in America- Unlocking the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund

Airports: Investing in America- Rebuilding America’s Airport Infrastructure

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