On the recordJuly 30, 2020
Let me start by thanking Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their leadership. A lot has been said about Chairwoman Lowey, and I don't want to repeat myself, but the bottom line is: You are one class act, and you will be sorely missed by this institution. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Price for his friendship, his transparency, and his openness in this process. I strongly support so many aspects of the T-HUD portion of this bill. I am particularly pleased with the inclusion of funding and language requests from Members on both sides of the aisle in a nonpartisan way. I appreciate, for example, the $300 million for port infrastructure grants. It is important, obviously, for coastal States like Florida, but also for our entire country's freight network, and our economy. It is clear that ports are crucial for our economy. The bill also includes $389 million for a Maritime Academy Training Ship program--something that had been, frankly, ignored for too many years. This bill supports the training ship in Texas, which will double as a disaster response asset for the region. The bill continues investments in our Nation's highways, rail, transit and airport infrastructure. It builds on progress we have made in recent years through, again, this bill creating jobs, improving the quality of life, and spurring innovation. The bill makes important progress to enhance safety on our roads and railways.…
