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.
“ESCAPE ACT OF 2019” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E627 on May 20, 2019.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ESCAPE ACT OF 2019
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HON. JOHN GARAMENDI
of california
in the house of representatives
Monday, May 20, 2019
Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I reintroduce the ``Enhancing the Strength and Capacity of America's Primary Evacuation routes (ESCAPE) Act,'' with Congressman William R. Keating (D-MA). I want to thank Congressman Keating for his leadership as the sponsor last Congress and partnering with me this year.
This bicameral bill would establish a new U.S. Department of Transportation grant program for roadway, bridges, and other transportation projects that strengthen and protect routes essential for mass evacuations caused by natural disasters and other emergency events. With increasingly frequent and severe disasters across the country due to climate change, Congress must provide dedicated funding for resilient evacuation routes.
In 2017, nearly 200,000 Californians were forced to evacuate when they learned that Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the nation, was on the verge of failing. Thousands of drivers funneled onto a narrow two-
lane highway, spending hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic to reach safety along the Sacramento Valley's major north-to-south evacuation route.
Last year, Paradise, California, just north of my district was reduced to rubble by the devastating Camp Fire. As the flames engulfed the single-lane road that served as the city's primary evacuation route, residents were forced to abandon their vehicles and escape on foot--some to their death. The lack of adequate evacuation routes in our nation--particularly for small rural communities--is costing lives every year. Our bicameral legislation would provide dedicated federal funding for evacuation routes that save lives in times of crisis.
I hope that any infrastructure package passed this Congress will include our ``ESCAPE Act.'' I plan on making this a major priority in my work as a senior member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to join Congressman Keating and me in cosponsoring this critical legislation.
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