Janice Hahn: “Last week we passed a bill to extend funding for critical highway and transit infrastructure projects for 6 months. I…”

“Last week we passed a bill to extend funding for critical highway and transit infrastructure projects for 6 months. I don't think 6 months is long enough. We're told by businesses that they need certainty before they can invest, and the same is true for those businesses that would help us build an infrastructure that reflects the challenges of the 21st century. To give that certainty, we need to pass a long-term highway and transit funding bill now so we can create lasting jobs. In my home city of Los Angeles, we're already pursuing innovative measures like the 30/10, America Fast Forward initiative to get the infrastructure we need to stay competitive tomorrow built today. That initiative promises to create 160,000 jobs in my area alone. Just think of what that good program could do for our country as a whole. A long-term bill will put us one step closer to realizing that goal. Keeping our Nation competitive in the future requires vision and boldness in the present, and I urge my colleagues to pass a long-term surface transportation bill equal to the opportunity before us. ____________________”