The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E702-E703 on April 23, 2008.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK
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HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I support the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week. National Public Works Week is celebrated for a full week each May to celebrate our public works professionals and the important work they do to keep our country running smoothly.
May 18 through 24, 2008 will recognize the many duties that public works professionals--those who design, build, operate, maintain and protect transportation systems, water supply infrastructure, sewage and refuse disposal systems, public buildings, and other structures and facilities--perform to enhance communities and our Nation.
Public works keep our society functioning: providing buildings that house vital government offices, and giving our country rail, highways, airports, and public transit to move goods and passengers.
Similarly, public works help maintain public health: Providing systems for waste and sewage disposal, while supplying us with crucial water for our homes, businesses, and agriculture. Pipelines safely transport natural gas and hazardous liquids through 2,300,000 miles of pipelines throughout the country.
Many people take for granted our public works, recognizing their importance only when problems are encountered. When water supply is not efficient, when infrastructure crumbles, and when accidents in moving transportation occur, we are then forced to reflect on what needs to be invested in the larger public works sector of our economy.
The ``2006 Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions and Performance'' report by the Department of Transportation confirms that investment in the Nation's highway, bridge, and transit infrastructure has not kept up with the growing demands of the system.
Likewise, our country is in need of critical investment in water infrastructure. It was more than 1 year ago, at the beginning of the 110th Congress, that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed three key water infrastructure bills: H.R. 569, the Water Quality Financing Act of 2007; H.R. 700, the Health Communities Water Supply Act of 2007; and H.R. 720, the Water Quality Financing Act of 2007. These bills later overwhelmingly passed the House, and we continue to wait for our counterparts in the Senate to take similar action.
I strongly support investment in our Nation's infrastructure, as well as the men and women who keep our public works, quite simply, working.
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