Bud Shuster: “Today is an exciting day for me because when I became chairman almost 3 years ago of the Transportation and…”

“Today is an exciting day for me because when I became chairman almost 3 years ago of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, one of my highest priorities was passing a multiyear bill to improve our Nation's road, bridges, and transit systems. So I am very pleased that today the House is considering the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, the STRR Act. I want to thank Chairman Sam Graves and our Democratic counterparts, Ranking Members DeFazio and Norton, for helping to develop this bipartisan bill. Thanks in part to their hard work and willingness to work together, our committee unanimously approved the STRR Act 2 weeks ago. This bill is absolutely critical to America and our economy. Transportation, in particular our surface transportation system, has a direct impact on our day-to-day quality of life. It affects how we get to work, how we get our kids home from school, and how much time we can spend with our families and friends instead of sitting in traffic. Transportation allows our country and our businesses to be competitive. Transportation is about supply chain, raw materials getting to the factories, products getting to markets, and what we pay for goods; and it is fundamentally what the STRR Act is all about. To help put this legislation together, Mr.…”