Joe Crowley: “this morning I proudly join my colleagues in signing the discharge petition H.R. 1660, the School Modernization…”

“this morning I proudly join my colleagues in signing the discharge petition H.R. 1660, the School Modernization Construction Act. As a member of the freshman class, I have organized numerous 1 minutes and Special Orders to allow us to share with our Republican colleagues the stories from our own districts: the overcrowding, the crumbling buildings, the rapid school-age population growth. Whether they are urban, rural, or suburban, schools across our Nation need the help of Congress in addressing the infrastructure problems. Mr. Speaker, I cannot accept that the only action taken by Congress this year to help our schools is a small arbitrage provision contained within the recently passed tax bill. This provision will not provide assistance to our beleaguered school system and could result in delays in school construction and modernization projects for more than 2 years. We can fix our highways. We can rebuild our bridges. Why do we sit by and do nothing about the infrastructure that houses our Nation's greatest assets, its children. We need to help our school districts by providing them with interest-free bonds to build new facilities and to improve the existing structures now, not 2 years from now.”