U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell issued the following statement after voting for the passage of the DRIVE Act, a bipartisan bill that reauthorizes the Highway Trust Fund and the Export Import Bank.

 

By making smart, strategic investments in our aging infrastructure, Congress will create more good-paying jobs for Americans and boost commerce. While this bill is not perfect, today’s vote for the DRIVE Act was certainly a step in the right direction towards providing critical investments in infrastructure maintenance and development.

The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that 25 percent of Alabama’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and that those roads cost motorists an average $141 in extra vehicle repairs. Many of my constituents can ill-afford these additional costs. Unfortunately, the house version of the highway bill is insufficient to meet the urgent transportation and infrastructure needs of so many communities across the country.

However, I believe that the good outweighs the bad. This bill contains important provisions that would promote minority- and women-owned small businesses, and boost recruitment and training of transit workers from underrepresented communities. It also strengthens by America requirements to create more jobs right here at home.

I am proud too that two amendments I offered alongside Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee have been included in the Highway Bill. These amendments help promote the goal of improving transportation efficiency and safety by providing Congress with the critical information and data to enhance the safety of public transit areas used by students, women, seniors, disabled, and other vulnerable members of our community.

I am mindful too that this bill would reauthorize the critically important export import bank for four years. America cannot compromise its competitive edge in an increasing global marketplace. The export import bank has helped American businesses better compete overseas at no cost to taxpayers. For nearly 20 years, the export import bank has created or sustained 1.5 million private sector jobs.

Job creation has long been my number one priority. Congress has many tools at its disposal that we haven’t been using. I look forward to now conferencing with the Senate version of the bill and providing the president with a comprehensive and long term highway bill that he can sign. It’s time to put more Alabamians and more Americans back to work.