The Partnership to Build America Act

Congressman Ami Bera
Congressional Record: 114th Congress
July 15, 2015

(Mr. BERA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, today, we are going to be asked to vote on another short-term funding patch for the highway trust fund. We have done this over 30 times, but what we need is a bipartisan plan and a long-term transportation goal that is fiscally responsible. It is what we have always done throughout our history.

Think about it. President Lincoln built the transcontinental railroad, put thousands of people to work, and helped lead an economic boom. President Eisenhower invested in the interstate highway bill, which built our interstate commerce system and transport system and put thousands of people to work and led to an economic boom.

Mr. Speaker, let's think big. That is what we do as Americans. Let's invest in ourselves. Let's come up with a long-term highway trust fund bill that invests in our infrastructure; puts thousands of Americans to work; and lets us lead an economic recovery not just in the United States, but in the world.

That is what we do as Americans; we think big. Mr. Speaker, let's get this done.