Henry Cuellar: “I thank Chairman DeFazio for yielding. I also thank his staff for working very hard to put this bill together that will…”

“I thank Chairman DeFazio for yielding. I also thank his staff for working very hard to put this bill together that will add $1.5 billion to the $1 trillion that will be added for our highways and the infrastructure that we need. Thank you so much. I am pleased to offer this bipartisan amendment in order to designate the I-27 Ports-to-Plains Corridor as a future interstate that starts in Laredo, the largest inland port in the country. I thank Jodey Arrington, Brian Babin, Lizzie Fletcher, and Ben Lujan for all the work that they have done to get to this point. This designation will make Texas and New Mexico eligible for increased Federal funding to complete the I-27 highway expansion project, creating economic growth, jobs, and trade opportunities across those two states. The I-27 expansion would immediately grow the Texas GDP by $17.2 billion and create 178,000 construction jobs. It would also add 17,710 long-term employment opportunities in the new I-27 corridor. It would also make Laredo the only port of entry that will have I-35, I-69, and I-27 as corridors, also. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this bipartisan amendment that will help improve trade in south Texas, Texas, and across New Mexico.”