Lipinski Urges Robust, Multi-Year Surface Transportation Bill to Create Jobs

On September 15, 2011, Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) released the following statement:

 

“The Senate’s decision to follow the lead of the House and prevent another shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration and extend surface transportation legislation is good news, but it’s just the first step. What Congress and the President need to do now is immediately start working to pass a robust, multi-year highway and transit bill that can put Americans back to work building badly needed infrastructure projects. In October 2008, I brought the Highway and Transit Subcommittee of the House Transportation Committee to Chicago for the first hearing in preparation for passage of a long-term bill. Unfortunately, a lack of support for such a bill from the Administration and in the Senate has led to gridlock, resulting in the need for eight short-term extensions, a loss of construction jobs, and an inability to make the long-term investment America needs. On Monday, I was pleased to join with Sen. Mark Kirk and Rep. Randy Hultgren in issuing a bipartisan, bicameral call for action. Despite the hold-up in the Senate that preceded its vote, renewed concerns about the possibility of a double-dip recession seem to have had a long-overdue sobering affect on Washington in recent weeks. Conversations with a number of my colleagues have left me optimistic that a robust highway and transit bill could command bipartisan support. Such a bill would require some innovative approaches and a willingness by both sides to compromise. But the alternative is to continue kicking the can down the road while the public suffers. Finally, two years after the last long-term bill expired, I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in supporting a surface transportation bill that creates jobs quickly while making lasting improvements to our roads, bridges, railways, and public transit.”