Kay Hagan: “I will speak for a couple minutes on the Transportation bill. I have come to the floor to express my support for passing…”

“I will speak for a couple minutes on the Transportation bill. I have come to the floor to express my support for passing the Senate bill before the current Transportation authorization expires this Saturday. This would create and sustain nearly 41,000 jobs in North Carolina and across the country close to 3 million jobs. Earlier today, the House passed a short-term 90-day extension. Unfortunately, passing another stopgap extension is not the solution that businesses, States, and the entire country needs. Short-term extensions create instability and uncertainty in funding, and without that certainty, States such as mine, North Carolina, cannot plan or move forward with projects, which jeopardizes tens of thousands of projects and millions of jobs in America. Once again, that is 41,000 jobs in North Carolina. Upgrading our infrastructure is not a Democratic or a Republican priority; it is truly an American priority. The Senate Transportation funding bill makes critical investments in transportation and infrastructure in North Carolina and across our Nation. The return on investment, when it comes to infrastructure, is high. Moody's estimates that for every $1 spent on infrastructure, our GDP is raised about $1.59. Additionally, for every $1 billion spent on infrastructure, 11,000 to 30,000 jobs are created--jobs that North Carolina desperately needs.…”