Infrastructure

Floor Speech

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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, during times of crisis and upheaval, societies have a unique opportunity to reimagine themselves, to fix wrongs, and to make themselves better than they were previously. The pandemic of 1917 created the Roaring Twenties. The aftermath of the Civil War brought railroads, canals, and bridges to connect us. The Great Depression gave us the New Deal.

After the devastation of the COVID pandemic and the truth reveal of our systemic problems of racism, economic inequality, wealth and healthcare disparities, we must use this time and this opportunity to not only forge forward, but to correct wrongs. While the American Rescue Plan is changing the course of the pandemic and delivering relief for working families, this is not the time to build back the way things were. This is a moment to reimagine and rebuild a new economy.

The American jobs plan is an investment in America that will create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country's infrastructure, and position this United States to outcompete China and other nations. The American jobs plan will invest in America in a way that we have not invested since we built the interstate highways and won the space race.

The United States of America is the wealthiest country in the world, yet we rank 13th when it comes to overall quality of our infrastructure. Public domestic investment as a share of the economy has fallen more than 40 percent since the 1960s. After decades of disinvestment, our roads, bridges, and water systems are crumbling. Our electric grid is vulnerable to catastrophic outages. Too many lack access to affordable high-speed internet and to quality housing.

The past year has led to job losses and threatened economic security, eroding more than 30 years of progress in women's labor force participation. It has unmasked the fragility of our caregivers' infrastructure. It has never been more important for us to invest in strengthening our infrastructure and our competitiveness, and in creating good paying union jobs of the future.

This must include a 21st century infrastructure--deployment of broadband and closing the digital divide in this country--creating the modern bridge that will unite and create more economic and opportunity equity in our country.

Unlike past major investments, President Biden's plan also prioritizes addressing longstanding and persistent racial injustice. The plan targets 40 percent of the benefit of climate and clean infrastructure investments to disadvantaged communities. The investment of $100 billion in broadband internet will be the component that will make America a leader, an innovator, once again.

Broadband internet is the new electricity. It is necessary for Americans to do their jobs; to create jobs; to participate equally in school learning, healthcare, and to stay connected. It is estimated, however, that 10 percent--over 30 million Americans--live in areas where there is inadequate or no broadband infrastructure. Americans living in rural areas, on Tribal lands, and in the territories particularly lack adequate access. Even in our urban areas, many have stark differences in access to internet and to jobs.

President Biden's American jobs plan is visionary and exactly what people across this country have been asking from our Nation's leaders for years, even decades. Representing the Virgin Islands, I am especially excited about his focus on building infrastructure that is resilient to our changing climate, electrifying our highway system, investing heavily in transit and other cleaner mobility options, and working to eliminate the digital divide.

In announcing his plan, the President has taken our voices--the voices in Congress--and has put those words into action. The American jobs plan will not only make bold transformational investment in our Nation's transportation infrastructure, it will do so with an emphasis on creating good paying jobs, supporting American manufacturing, and investing in rural and urban communities alike.

Earlier this year, the New Democrat Coalition unveiled our agenda for the first 100 days of the 117th Congress. The New Dems share the Biden- Harris administration's vision to build back better, and we will work together to move our country forward.

We must rebuild our communities and our economy better than before with the American jobs plan. Now is the time to think boldly with a once-in-a-century investment to create millions of good-paying jobs.

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