Bill Shuster

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, even though I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I don't oppose the amendment.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. SHUSTER. I appreciate the gentleman pushing this issue. Again, as I said, burying power lines I think is a positive thing. It does add to the beauty of the landscape. But I just don't believe that it is the Federal Government's role to underwrite, the taxpayers to underwrite, these utility companies. So, again, I appreciate the withdrawal. I appreciate your pushing this issue. I continue to oppose the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, currently under the CMAQ Program, funds may be used to purchase publicly owned alternative fuel vehicles, including passenger vehicles, service trucks, street cleaners, and others. This is a good amendment that ensures alternative fuel vehicles are still eligible under this bill. I support the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is not in our jurisdiction. It is in the Energy and Commerce Committee's jurisdiction. I understand the Energy and Commerce Committee supports the amendment, so we support the amendment also. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren).

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition, even though I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. I look forward to working with the gentleman on this language and moving it to conference. It sounds to me like you have put a lot of work into it, and I look forward to continuing that work in Congress.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I believe the gentleman's amendment is a sound amendment. I support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), the vice chairman of the full committee and the chair of two critical panels, the P3 panel and the freight movement panel, that developed a lot of what is in this bill. I appreciate his work on that.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from upstate New York (Mr. Katko), a new member of the committee and one of our hardest working members.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from southern California (Mrs. Mimi Walters), another new and hardworking Member.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from northern Virginia (Mrs. Comstock).

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 22.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham), the subcommittee chairman on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves), the subcommittee chairman on Highways and Transit.

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Chair, I support the gentleman's amendment. It is a thoughtful amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita).

Mr. SHUSTER. I will continue to work with the gentleman on this issue as it moves to conference.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today is an exciting day for me because when I became chairman almost 3 years ago of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, one of my highest priorities was passing a multiyear bill to improve our Nation's road, bridges, and transit systems. So I am very pleased that today the House is considering the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, the STRR Act. I want to thank Chairman Sam Graves and our Democratic counterparts, Ranking Members DeFazio and Norton, for helping to develop this bipartisan bill. Thanks in part to their hard work and willingness to work together, our committee unanimously approved the STRR Act 2 weeks ago. This bill is absolutely critical to America and our economy. Transportation, in particular our surface transportation system, has a direct impact on our day-to-day quality of life. It affects how we get to work, how we get our kids home from school, and how much time we can spend with our families and friends instead of sitting in traffic. Transportation allows our country and our businesses to be competitive. Transportation is about supply chain, raw materials getting to the factories, products getting to markets, and what we pay for goods; and it is fundamentally what the STRR Act is all about. To help put this legislation together, Mr. Chairman, our committee traveled to communities across this country and talked to transportation and business leaders about the need for this bill. What we heard is that our States and communities all have a variety of needs and that certainty over multiple years is necessary to address those needs. The STRR Act is a multiyear bill that provides that certainty for States and local governments. This bill helps improve our Nation's infrastructure and maintains a strong commitment to safety, but it also provides important reforms that will help us continue to do the job more effectively. Key provisions in this bill will refocus--and that is important--our transportation programs on national priorities, promote innovation to make our surface transportation system and programs work better, provide greater flexibility for State and local governments to address their needs, streamline the Federal bureaucracy, accelerate the project approval process, and facilitate the flow of freight and commerce. The STRR Act continues the Federal role in providing a strong national transportation system, enables our country to remain economically competitive, and helps ensure our quality of life. This bill has widespread support. We have received nearly 300 letters of support from throughout the stakeholder community, including Governors, mayors, cities, counties, AASHTO, Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, agriculture, construction industry, shippers, and many, many others. Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation and look forward to working with the Senate to get a final measure to the President. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.