Congressional Record/Volume 167/Issue 4/Extensions of Remarks/Introduction of the Build America Act of 2021
INTRODUCTION OF THE BUILD AMERICA ACT OF 2021
HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS
OF FLORIDA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Mr. Hastings. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Build America Act of 2021, legislation that will provide $10 billion annually for merit-based infrastructure grants across the country. For years, House Democrats have called for a dramatic investment in infrastructure, and for years, these calls have gone unanswered. I am hopeful that this will be the year that we finally make the investments we need. I am proud to introduce my legislation today—not for a massive, all-encompassing infrastructure package—but rather, for a commonsense expansion of successful programs based on need and merit that will ensure we put money towards the greatest infrastructure needs regardless of any additional package passed in the House.
My legislation will significantly increase the size and scope of two existing infrastructure grant programs, the Capital Investment Grant Program (CIG), also known as New Starts/Small Starts, and the BUILD Grant Program, formerly known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant Program, or TIGER Grants. These programs have been immensely successful in the past, assisting rural and urban communities prioritize their own needs. Each program requires matching funds from those seeking assistance, making them smart and effective avenues for leveraging federal funding to make a real impact across the country.
My bill takes these programs out of the annual appropriations process. Instead, it establishes them as mandatory programs with permanent and expanded funding streams totaling more than $10 billion annually.
This expansion will be welcome news to the thousands of communities like those I represent. Consider this, since 2009, Congress has dedicated more than $8 billion for multiple rounds of TIGER/BUILD funding. In FY2020 alone, the program received over $9 billion in applications. That is more than the total amount of funding over a 10-year period in just a single fiscal year. The process is competitive, and it allows the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reward applicants that exceed eligibility criteria and demonstrate commitments to their projects.
By increasing these funding levels and removing the programs from the annual appropriations process, we will take the guesswork and uncertainty out of the programs. This in turn will allow communities around the country to submit funding requests for projects of national, regional, or metropolitan-area significance, including the construction and repair of roads, bridges, and tunnels, the installation of high-speed internet, revitalization of drinking water infrastructure, and the construction and expansion of fixed-guideway public transportation systems, including subways, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit (BRT).
Madam Speaker, we have talked about prioritizing a large-scale infrastructure package for years. Last Congress, the House passed H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, a $1.5 trillion plan to rebuild American infrastructure. However, like so many other bills passed during the 116th Congress, it was ignored by the Republican controlled Senate. We need to get serious.
Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers issues a “Report Card” for America’s Infrastructure. The report depicts the condition and performance of American infrastructure, assigning letter grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for improvement across 16 major infrastructure categories. The most recent report card was issued in 2017. Among the national rankings, transit systems were rated a D− and roads were rated a D.
Dams: D.
Drinking water: D.
Inland waterways: D.
Levees: D.
We need to move this process forward. I urge my colleagues to support this critically important bill, so that our country can begin making the investments it desperately needs.