Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I introduce H. Res. 313, supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week, and for other purposes. National Public Works Week is celebrated for a full week each May to celebrate our public works professionals and the important work that they do to keep our country running smoothly.

May 17 through May 23, 2009 will recognize the many duties that public works professionals--those who design, build, operate, maintain and protect transportation systems, water supply infrastructure, sewage and refuse disposal systems, public buildings, and other structures and facilities--perform to enhance communities and our nation.

Public works keep our society functioning: providing buildings that house vital government offices, and giving our country rail, highways, airports, and public transit to move goods and passengers.

Similarly, public works help maintain public health: providing systems for waste and sewage disposal, while supplying us with crucial water for our homes, businesses, and agriculture. Pipelines safely transport natural gas and hazardous liquids through 2,300,000 miles of pipelines throughout the country.

Many people take for granted our public works, recognizing their importance only when problems are encountered. When water supply is not efficient, when infrastructure crumbles, and when accidents in moving transportation occur, we are then forced to reflect on what needs to be invested in the larger public works sector of our economy.

The ``2006 Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions and Performance'' report by the Department of Transportation confirms that investment in the Nation's highway, bridge, and transit infrastructure has not kept up with the growing demands of the system.

The 111th Congress has worked to aggressively address our critical transportation and infrastructure needs. In February, Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) (``Recovery Act''), which provides $64.1 billion of infrastructure investment to enhance the safety, security, and efficiency of our highway, transit, rail, aviation, environmental, inland waterways, public buildings, and maritime transportation infrastructure. The $64.1 billion of Federal transportation and infrastructure investment will create or sustain more than 1.8 million jobs and $323 billion of economic activity.

In addition, in March, the House passed H.R. 1262, the ``Water Quality Investment Act of 2009''. H.R. 1262 significantly increases funding for capitalization grants to States for state water pollution control revolving funds, grants for alternative water source projects to meet critical water supply needs, grants to municipalities and States to control combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows, and grants for projects to remediate contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes areas of concern. The bill also provides a uniform, national standard for monitoring, reporting, and public notification of municipal combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows.

I strongly support investment in our Nation's infrastructure, as well as the men and women who keep our public works, quite simply, working.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 313, supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week.

H. Res. 313 recognizes the week of May 17 through 23, 2009, as National Public Works Week and pays tribute to our public works professionals. This week has been designated by a variety of groups to celebrate those public works professionals who keep our nation running in the most basic and fundamental ways.

These professionals protect our public health, our economy, and our communities. They design, build, and maintain vital transportation systems, levees, sewage systems, and public buildings that enhance everyday life in our nation.

Today, we are all eminently aware of the financial issues that Americans are facing. What we are less aware of, however, is the current state of our nation's failing infrastructure. Critical elements of our highway system, drinking water infrastructure, and wastewater treatment facilities, are failing us in dangerous ways.

To reinvigorate our economy, Congress passed the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009. This landmark piece of legislation invests in key infrastructure areas, is currently putting Americans back to work in the public works sector, and is improving the state of our nation's infrastructure.

The Recovery Act provides $64.1 billion of investment in critical transportation and infrastructure programs. These investments include:

$27.5 billion for highways and bridges;

$8.4 billion for public transit capital investment;

$4 billion for state water pollution control revolving funds;

$4.6 billion for water-related infrastructure of the Corps of Engineers; and

$5.575 billion for federal buildings.

I am confident that investment in these areas will put more of our nation's public works professionals back to work and improve our economy. Just last week, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing on the implementation of the Recovery Act and found that as of March 31st, more than 1,250 people have been put back to work in 263 highways projects in 30 states.

As a result of our efforts, more than 1,200 families can rest more easily with the promise of a paycheck, and can continue to make the day-to-day expenditures that will help turn this economy around.

This is the promise that Congress made to the American people--to invest wisely in our infrastructure systems and help the nation's economy recover.

We cannot underestimate the importance of infrastructure investment. Quite frankly, the

public works professionals that we are honoring today protect our citizens, our economy, and our communities.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support this resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 313) supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 313.

I rise in support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, each year during the month of May, we celebrate National Public Works Week. The public works professionals that we recognize today provide the country with essential services and keep our roads safe, our drinking water clean, and our Nation moving. House Resolution 313 honors American public works professionals and celebrates their work from May 17 through 23, 2009.

The public works professionals that we recognize today keep our country running in the most basic and fundamental ways possible. These professionals design, construct and rehabilitate our transportation system, water infrastructure, levees, public buildings and other structures and facilities that are an intimate part of everyday life in the United States.

It is appropriate to set aside 1 week each year to recognize the role that public works play in our daily life. Far too often we take for granted clean water or the method of transportation that we use to get to work. In fact, we

do not begin to fully appreciate these everyday conveniences until they fail us. What happened in New Orleans made the importance of public works crystal clear to everyone. Their lack of clean water, safe infrastructure and basic human needs was a stark reminder that we need to be vigilant to ensure that the citizens of our country get the critical services they need in their lives.

I visited New Orleans numerous times following the hurricane, and I want to encourage everyone not to forget New Orleans, because they still have a ton of rebuilding that needs to be done there and in the other gulf States.

As our Nation's infrastructure ages, it is increasingly likely that more and more elements of it will cease to be productive without renewed investment. It is for this reason that we must recognize the need to revitalize our infrastructure and find ways to make it more efficient.

House Resolution 313 honors the tens of thousands of public works professionals that serve the public quietly. These are the professionals that keep our country operating safely.

Madam Speaker, I support this resolution and hope that all my colleagues will support it as well.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield as much time as she may consume to Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, investment in the Nation's highway, bridge and transit infrastructure has not kept up with growing demands on the system. The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commissions reported that the United States needs to invest up to $340 billion annually over the next 50 years to upgrade the Nation's transportation network.

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has jurisdiction over our water transportation system, which consists of 926 coastal and inland harbors maintained by the Corps of Engineers and 25,000 miles of inland and coastal commercial waterways. If we do not keep our harbors and waterways operating efficiently, we threaten our economic prosperity.

To meet these needs, as well the need for flood protection and environmental restoration, passing a water resources development act for 2010 should be high on the committee's agenda. According to separate studies conducted by the Congressional Budget Office, EPA and municipal groups, the current rate of capital investment will not keep our wastewater treatment systems operational. State and local governments are spending approximately $10 billion a year in capital investments in wastewater infrastructure. Most of this funding comes from the local taxpayers. However, to meet the needs of communities all over the United States, our Nation should be doubling that spending.

We can't continue to take our wastewater treatment facilities for granted. Not only are they critical to protecting our health and the environment; they are critical to protecting our economy and our way of life. Public infrastructure plays a critical role in enhancing our quality of life, improving our environment and contributes to our economic prosperity.

We take these systems and the professionals, engineers and administrators for granted. So it is important for Congress to recognize the contribution they make to ensuring America remains the world's premier economic power.

I appreciate Mr. Oberstar in bringing this resolution forward. I urge all Members to support H. Res. 313.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

After thanking the chairlady for being here and Mr. Oberstar for bringing this bill forward, I urge support and yield back the balance of my time.

Thanks to Ms. Brown and Mr. Boozman for handling this legislation today. Today we considered House Resolution 313, recognizing National Public Works Week from May 17 through May 23, 2009.

The National Public Works Week is celebrated in May each year. This resolution pays tribute to the professionals that design, build and maintain critical elements of our Nation's infrastructure. This body has always understood the value of these professionals and what they bring to our society. Professionals in the public works sector provide us with safe and efficient roads, access to clean drinking water and other essential services that keep our country running.

It has become increasingly important that Congress designate 1 week each year to recognize those who work in the public works sector. Many people take for granted the public transportation system they use to commute each day or the safe running water in their homes. Far too often we do not realize the importance of these systems until something goes wrong.

At the beginning of this Congress, the House passed a key water infrastructure bill, H.R. 1262, the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009. And this piece of legislation increases authorization levels of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, grants provided by the Environmental Protection Agency to address combined and sanitary sewer overflows, as well as grants for alternative water source projects. These grants will go one step further to ensure that every American has access to clean water.

Madam Speaker, on February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The legislation provides for over $64 billion in investment in our Nation's highway system, rail system and environmental infrastructure, not enough but steps in the right direction. It is investment in these areas as well as other critical infrastructure areas that will put America back to work and see us out of these troubling economic times.

I'm grateful for the administrators, engineers and servicemen who continue to utilize their skills and dedication to provide these essential services to us.

I support this resolution and urge my colleagues to join me and give our public works professionals the recognition that they deserve.