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DETERIORATING INFRASTRUCTURE IN TEXAS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia) for 5 minutes.
Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a mounting problem which is affecting every Texan: our deteriorating infrastructure.
Now, I know a thing about infrastructure. When I was a county commissioner, I saw firsthand how a lack of investment directly impacted people in my area. As a State, we regularly have received scores of C and D on our infrastructure. In my own area, it was even worse because of the damage that hurricanes and flooding did on a regular basis.
These deteriorating roads and bridges cost Texans over $700 a year in damages and extra vehicle maintenance. That is an entire paycheck for many of the people in my district. On top of that, Houstonians have had to deal with the twin trouble of decaying roads and rapid growth.
Harris County is now home to over 700,000 more people than it had in 2010. Without significant investment, we are trying to fit more and more people onto the same deteriorating roads.
Mr. Speaker, the traffic is so bad in parts of my city that I and many other Houstonians simply avoid entire neighborhoods altogether. This directly hurts small business owners who depend on infrastructure for people to reach their stores.
Mr. Speaker, poor infrastructure does more than hurt families' pocketbooks, it has already cost us lives. Everyone in Texas remembers the winter storm this past February that left millions freezing in their homes without power.
The extreme cold weather brought State power systems to the brink of collapse. Over 200 Texans died in this storm, many of them seniors, from cold weather exposure. It didn't have to be this way. The State government had the choice the last time this kind of storm happened in 2011 to take the advice of Federal regulators and prepare our power grid for winter emergencies. Instead, the State has done nothing and will have to bear the cost.
Many Houstonians will also remember Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Rita, and Hurricane Harvey, it comes one after another. Every year, another
``storm of the century.''
{time} 1015
These storms have caused hundreds of deaths, billions in damages, and displaced thousands from their homes in Houston. Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on, but the point is clear: my district is facing a clear and present danger from the failure to invest in reliable infrastructure.
During the previous administration, we heard promise after promise from Republicans. They were going to address this with the so-called infrastructure weeks. I can't even remember how many of those we had, but it certainly stretched for 4 years. Promises made, promises broken.
But I am proud that today I can go back to my district and say that these critical investments are finally--finally--on their way. Thanks to President Biden's commitment to working with Congress to get this done, Texas will receive $35 billion to rebuild our infrastructure.
For all the problems I have spoken about, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has a solution. This law will invest over $26 billion in funding for better roads and bridges built to last and to handle future growth. It will also invest $3.3 billion to improve public transit options that reduce congestion and improve transportation for everyone. Texans will also benefit from a $3.5 billion program in this law that will protect power systems from weather emergencies like the winter storm.
But this law doesn't just solve today's problems. It is also about preparing us for tomorrow's opportunities.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will deliver reliable internet access to rural Texas communities by investing over $100 million in expanding coverage. This will allow rural Texans to finally access jobs and commerce that were previously locked away.
This bill will also prepare Texas for electric vehicles of the future by investing nearly half a billion dollars to build our charging station network.
Mr. Speaker, Texas is facing serious infrastructure problems. But this law is the solution. I am proud that this money will soon flow directly to communities in my State and improve lives.
Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, and some of our friends across the aisle, this bipartisan infrastructure bill will send help, and it is on the way.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 207
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