On the recordJuly 31, 2014
I am happy to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), a valued member of our Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Many years ago, I worked as a bicycle mechanic, so I know how to patch a tube. But if you get to the point where you can't see the tube anymore for the patches, then it is time for a new tube. Well, that is where we are at here today. We have had study after study that we are not even investing enough money in our infrastructure to bring it up to a state of good repair, let alone build a modern 21st century infrastructure. {time} 1345 We were the envy of the world with the Eisenhower program. We were the number one in infrastructure in the world. Where are we now? We are number 26. We are down there slugging it out with Third World countries, in terms of our infrastructure. 140,000 bridges on the national highway system need repair or replacement. Forty percent of the national highway system is so deteriorated that it has to be totally replaced. You can't just patch it anymore. You just can't resurface anymore. Our transit agencies have a $70 billion backlog to bring their existing systems up to a state of good repair--not to build new transit options for Americans, no--just to bring what we have up to a state of good repair. Why are we here today?…
