Statement in opposition to H.R. 4348 – the Surface Transportation Extension Act, Pt. II
Washington, DC (April 19, 2012) - Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following statement afterthe House passed a 90-day surface transportation extension:
"Once again, the Republican majority has chosen to move ahead with a short-sighted, short-term transportation bill.
The unemployment rate in the construction industry remains nearly double the national average. Construction workers, engineers, designers, managers, contractors, and developers tell me that another short-term extension will not bring enough certainty to the industry. In Illinois, the failure to pass a long-term transportation extension heading into the construction season has put more than four thousand jobs at risk. Our state, our towns, our business owners, and our workers deserve better.
To add insult to injury, the Republican bill authorizes the Keystone XL pipeline project before the completion of a thorough environmental and national security review. That provision will jeopardize human and environmental health and leave our nation less-secure. The Senate has already overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan MAP-21, a bill to fund our infrastructure for two years. That bill would protect jobs and promote economic growth, and it is what our country deserves. I am a supporter of that legislation, and we should have voted on it instead.
I can't support another 90-day extension that leaves thousands of Illinois construction jobs hanging in the balance and hundreds of thousands of workers who are ready and willing to improve our transportation infrastructure without work. We need to move forward with legislation that does more than kick the can down the road. H.R. 4348 does not meet that objective....
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adjoa Adofo, (202) 225-2111