Julia Brownley: “I would like to begin by thanking the chairmen and ranking members of the full committee and the subcommittee for their…”

“I would like to begin by thanking the chairmen and ranking members of the full committee and the subcommittee for their work on this bipartisan bill. I worked very hard to become a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee because I wanted very much to be part of a team that gets things done. {time} 1800 When I first joined the committee, many of my constituents back in Ventura County questioned whether the 114th Congress could get a surface transportation bill through the House. The progress that we have made so far on the bill is a testament to the good work that Congress can do when we work together in a bipartisan way, through the committee process, to get things done for the American people. I am also very appreciative of the Rules Committee for making my amendment in order this evening. Madam Chair, my amendment would fix a small problem with the new freight program and would allow small- and mid-sized communities an opportunity to compete for a slightly larger piece of the pie. I agree with many of my colleagues that we absolutely must address capacity issues along long-haul routes and freight corridors. We must address the costly and time-consuming bottlenecks within congested metropolitan areas. We must also address the first- and last-mile connections to our ports, freight yards, and other job centers in our communities.…”