On the recordJune 30, 2020
I thank Chairman DeFazio for yielding. I also thank the committee's amazing staff for the great work they have done in putting together really a remarkable and powerful surface transportation bill. Mr. Speaker, I also thank Chairman DeFazio for including several pieces of legislation that I had put forward. One is to provide $1.7 billion for zero-emission buses. My legislation earmarks 10 percent of that amount, 10 percent of those zero-emission buses, for low-income communities, oftentimes, majority-minority communities that have major health disparities within their communities, such as lung disease, asthma, and other respiratory diseases. These zero-emission buses will make a big difference in cities like Brockton, Massachusetts, that I represent. We have gotten a fair number of zero-emission buses for them in the past, and this will really help us rebuild our fleet. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the chairman for including a measure that I had put in to protect bicyclists and pedestrians in urban areas and other suburban areas where we have had repeated accidents. It requires the Department of Transportation to do a survey on those areas that have had high numbers of accidents. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for including my bill on establishing an aviation task force to make it safer for the public to fly during this pandemic period.
