Rep. DeFazio Discusses Infrastructure Priorities for Future Economic Stimulus Package
Days after
Thanks, Frank. First, I want to thank the Speaker, you, Jim, and other leadership as we've gone through this.
As Nancy said, the first package, weeks ago, was emergency, the CARES Act-- hard-fought, and reoriented by the
Community health centers, access to healthcare, water...Frank has the water coming into the house, I got the water going out of the house, in my Committee--and that is wastewater. Both sides are essential for community health.
And then Jim mentioned broadband. In my little community of Springfield I've got a lot of low-income kids, and even after they get computers, laptops from Bill and
But let's talk a little bit about recovery. I was pleased to see the President has come back to where we started almost a year ago, now. Which is, he wants a big package on investment in infrastructure to recover the economy. Actually, he's right. For once I agree with him on a step he wants to take.
Unfortunately, I saw press this morning that
This is rebuilding America and preparing us for the 21st Century in so many ways. We want to put people first, workers first, and nothing does that more than the investments we're talking about here.
We have the strongest Buy America requirements of any sector of the Federal government, in transportation infrastructure. Way stronger than the Pentagon even, dealing with national defense. So, the multiplier effect is extraordinary.
Make no mistake, this is an incredible economic blow to America. What we have done has mitigated some of that damage. But we're going to need a longer-term recovery package and we have to be more resilient in the future, which we can with this package.
Many of you are already familiar with it. We've added some critical things, community health centers, we have increased funding for broadband to meet the goals that Jim put forward. It has critical investments in transit, in rail, in our crumbling roads, bridges, and highways.
When I flew back to
These truck drivers are today's American heroes. They are keeping our stores stocked, they are keeping things moving, and we have to have a better system for the future for trucking, for rail, for that and it also has to look toward the future in dealing with the next major threat.
And I know
One last thing, one of the key portions of what should be a model of the last bill, was what we did for 2.3 million workers in the aviation industry, or directly related to it. Which was a payroll pass through, not to be touched by the airlines. Not to be touched by the contractors. That would keep the pay and benefits going so we don't add 2.3 million people to the unemployment rolls.
Yeah, loans to airlines we heavily conditioned them, if Mnuchin wants to condition those more, fine. Take your pound of flesh. But don't slow down the payroll assistance which is what he is in the process of doing right now. We put workers first in that package, we're going to put workers and America first in this package.
With that, I yield back.
A transcript of Chair DeFazio's remarks is below. An audio file can be found here (https://www.dropbox.com/s/vn07kqd9p0v899t/4.1.2020%20--%20Press%20Call.mp3?dl=0)
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