On the recordJune 30, 2020
I thank the gentleman from Oregon, the chairman of this committee, and I rise enthusiastically for H.R. 2 because we need to move forward. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman (Mr. DeFazio). For 20 years I have been on this floor fighting for mass transit and the expansion of such and to allow cities like Houston that were delayed 20 years because of opposition by my friends on the other side of the aisle, and we are finally getting a robust commitment to not only fixing roads and schools and housing, but also to dealing with mass transit. We worked on it for a long time. I want to thank the committee for accepting my amendment dealing with COVID-19. Right now, in Houston, as I rush back to my city, we have the largest number of cases. We have people dying. We have people walking into emergency rooms because they are sick themselves just coming in. This amendment deals with the aviation area and the airports where money has been given, but, in fact, money has been left out for different businesses, like parking. This amendment requires FAA to assess all of the businesses that have been left out and to prioritize them in our next funding, and I thank the gentleman for that. But let me, as well, speak about what I know is important in the bill and impacts a project called I-45 in Houston, Texas. This project would erase 158 houses, 433 apartments, 486 condos. I include in the Record an article from the Houston Chronicle about the I-45 project, dated June 7, 2020.…
