ウィスパリング同時通訳研究会コミュのButtigieg and other cabinet members on the American Jobs Plan, Biden’s infrastructure plan,

Chairman Leahy: (00:00)
…public, some members, myself included, also serve on the judiciary committee and that is having a significant hearing and voting rights act. And I was just there and spoke. But I thank everybody for coming here to what’s the first hearing of the full Senate Appropriations Committee for the 117th Congress. And I think it’s very appropriate we’re having a hearing on infrastructure. I also thank all the number of members, both Republicans and Democrats who are here because these are issues that affect all of us. There is no other committee within the Senate whose jurisdiction touches every aspect of our government, have American lives and saying can be sort of core infrastructure. And that’s why Senator Shelby and I worked so closely together over the years. There are days when they’d say infrastructure and it meant only bridges or highways, roads and rail. Or to narrow our view of infrastructure to justice is not only prosaic and reflects a willful ignorance of the real needs facing our communities, our cities, our nation at large.
(01:29)
The American Jobs Plan is a sweeping proposal it’s going to inject sorely needed resources into our transit systems, build affordable housing long needed in communities across every part of our country. It’s going to address the disparity and reliable broadband access currently only further divides rural and urban America. As one who lives in rural America and knows what that’s like I sympathize. With investment in people, in research and development. It will help the development, implementation and climate friendly technologies that will begin to chip away at the long ignored climate issues.
(02:29)
Some of the greatest universal challenge of our time because you can no longer ignore the reality of climate change. Now we have an opportunity toward taking a step to mitigate our carbon footprint, but to make our infrastructure more resilient to the challenges ahead. It’s not a question of whether or not we should take this opportunity, it’s necessary to our future that we do. And rural America and everybody here represents rural a area also in their state. I certainly do, the State of Vermont. 97% of the nation geographically is in rural America, but it’s only 23% of the population in rural America has been left behind for too long. In Vermont, 20% of homes lack adequate access to quality high-speed broadband. The race for 5G services across the country ignores the fact that in my State of Vermont, plenty cannot even get access to 4G services and I suspect that’s the same in rural areas of every state represented here. But in the pandemic, it has meant the difference between access to education for students or not.
(04:02)
And I think of the families that are shivering in their cars parked somewhere near where they could get broadband for their children to get their education. It’s meant the difference between receiving potentially life-changing tele-health services or not and facing unnecessary deaths. It’s meant the differences between simple connections with family and friends or not. Regarding our broadband access is not just simply laying fiber and walk away. With it, schools, hospitals, office buildings, homes must have the necessary framework in place to use those services. It’s all connected, not just by roads and bridges. I’ve heard the naysayers, those who say we spent too much too quickly in face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who say these investments are for states to make, not the federal government. Those who say now is just not the time.
(05:07)
To those people I say, if this is not the time, when is? When is? And if not us, then who? A crisis here, we have to step up our economy, necessarily curved or the last year to stop the spread of the deadly pandemic is a need and not just cash infusions for Americans, but of jobs, good paying jobs to help rebuild America. Not where we were, but to where we have to be in this next generation if we want to compete on an international stage. There’s no more pivotal time than now. America can’t be left behind, the world’s in an economic race. We’re losing to China. Beijing is investing heavily in new roads, railways, water infrastructure. They’re investing in the economy, the transportation of tomorrow. But so should we, our country only invests about 2.3% of GDP on our infrastructure. That’s a 60 year low from where those despots peaked in the fifties. Other industrialized countries like our European allies more than double the United States investment this sphere.
(06:29)
We can’t continue our position as a leader of the global state by thinking small. Now this is the Senate Appropriations Committee. I know all of you, you’re all friends, I think the world of you. And we work annually, every single year to enact meaningful appropriations bills that address the needs of our time. But today, the need outweighs the resources our annual process can provide. We have a once in a generation opportunity, a once in a generation opportunity to not just put a patch on the problem, but to make the aggressive and substantial investment demanded by the moment. This is a popular initiative, and why shouldn’t it be? The American Jobs Plan stands to significantly improve the quality of life here in America, in urban and rural areas alike. We’re sent here to advocate for our constituents. American Job Plan I trust has many of those dates, it’s long overdue. Let’s set aside prior [inaudible 00:07:42], let’s work together. As this committee has so many times over our history. And I agree it’s a boat step we needed this time in history. And I yield to my friend, the Vice Chairman, Senator Shelby.

Senator Shelby: (08:00)
Thank you. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I want to first welcome our witnesses to the committee today. And since this is our first full committee hearing under the new democratic majority, Mr. Chairman, I want to recognize and congratulate you on your new role as chairman of the committee and hope that we can continue to work together in a bi-partisan fashion because that’s the only way we’re going to really move things for the American people. I also want to commend you for calling today’s hearing. I believe it’s an important step toward reasserting the appropriations committee’s jurisdiction over federal spending. President Biden’s emergency COVID Relief Bill contain nearly half a trillion dollars in appropriations for discretionary accounts. Despite this, the appropriation committee was sidelined by the process used to pass that legislation. I hope we don’t go down that road again, especially with something as important as infrastructure.
(09:05)
Doing this work at the appropriations committee’s level is not just about protecting the committee’s jurisdiction here, it’s about protecting also the American taxpayers. The appropriations committee has expertise other committees lack when it comes to over side of funding. This is especially important given the scale and the scope of the package the president has proposed Mr. Chairman, you and I have shown that when given a chance appropriators can strike deals that enjoy broad, bi-partisan support. And as a general matter, I believe there is broad bipartisan agreement on the need for investment in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. But the breadth of that support I think depends on how broadly the term infrastructure is defined. For me, that is a central question for today’s hearing. What kind of investments can we agree fall under the category of infrastructure? I believe most people associate the term with roads, with bridges, airports, transportation systems, water systems, sewage systems and the like. The administration’s proposal on the other hand is so broad and ambiguous in the areas that it seems there is little, if anything that they do not consider or call infrastructure.
(10:36)
The American Jobs Plan proposes to be all things to all people I guess wrong time. It’s largely, I think an effort to check items off the longstanding liberal wish under the guise of infrastructure. Non germane items aside also have concerns about the overall approach in the president’s plan for more traditional types of infrastructure. The plan appears to be focused on making new investments in unproven programs rather than expanding investments in proven infrastructure programs. It all suggests I think an approach that will grow government for the long-term instead of harnessing the power of the private sector partnerships that I believe are good for American business taxpayers and for infrastructure in this country. Not to mention, it also proposes paying for everything with a massive tax increase. Yes, a massive tax increase. In light of this proposed tax hike, it’s puzzling that the administration in his press release announcing the proposal claimed it will put, “Position the United States to out-compete China.”
(11:51)
Wow! That’s all the more curious considering the administrations recently proposed slash in the defense budget of all things as well. Self-inflicted wounds in the American economy and military readiness are not an effective recipe for out competing China in my judgment. I hope our witnesses today can provide the committee more details than the administration’s press release including. It’s time I believe to move past slogans, platitudes to the particulars and this is why this hearing is important today. I hope they will tell us today our witnesses that is, about their ability to execute the projects of this scale in addition to their regular responsibilities. I’m interested in hearing about the expansion of the federal bureaucracy that will be required to execute such a huge sums and the long-term funding that will be necessary to sustain it. I’m also interested Mr. Chairman in learning about any alternatives to the proposed tax increases to finance those projects in a more efficient manner.
(13:04)
Finally, I believe we must have an understanding of the accountability mechanisms that are planned to ensure taxpayers’ hard earned dollars are not wasted. This is a very important discussion that you put together today and I want to thank you again for ensuring that the appropriation committee has a voice in this debate. I think it’s a golden opportunity to achieve the unity the president has promised to deliver. I hope we can come together to make the types of investments that we can agree on are necessary to improving our nation’s infrastructure and boost the American economy for years to come. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Chairman Leahy: (13:46)
Thank you. And before I introduce the witnesses, I mentioned, if I can have the member’s attention for a moment, this hearing is a hybrid hearing meaning we have some members attending virtually, some in person. I thank the witnesses for being here in person. You get to the question portion of the hearing where we have five minute question rounds. I know there are a number of committee meetings going on. Members will be called on the order of their seniority in the full committee. If the senator is unavailable at the time they’re called, we’ll move on to the next person then they missed their term and when they come back, we’ll just go back in order. And it has the senators mute themselves when not speaking. Those joining virtually I’d ask you not log out of the meeting before I ask you any questions. Just turn off your cameras if you need to step away.
(14:52)
And we are going to have witnesses who speak, each for five minutes, with the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, then the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Michael Regan, Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Marcia Fudge. But I see the [inaudible 00:00:15:21] senator from Rhode Island here. And when you’ve got someone from your state you know well, let me yield to you Senator Reed for your introduction.

Senator Reed: (15:32)
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I’m delighted to be able to introduce Secretary Gina Raimondo, we’re fortunate to have her. I’ve been privileged to know Secretary Raimondo since she was two months old, we were neighbors together, our families in Rhode Island. And indeed many years apart, Secretary Raimondo and I went to the same high school, LaSalle Academy in Providence, but there are paths to part. Secretary Gina Raimondo was accepted in every school I was rejected from. Harvard College, Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and Yale Law School. And that might account for her success as governor. She was an extraordinary leader when the COVID crisis erupted, she’s led the state with great decisiveness and then she’s been a great asset to our economic activities in the state. Dramatically enhancing our economy through innovation, wise investment and a dynamic partnership with business. We are indeed lucky to have her. Welcome Madam Secretary.

Chairman Leahy: (16:37)
Thank you Senator Reed. And let’s start with Secretary Buttigieg. Mr Secretary, please go ahead. And I apologize for the distance in here. Usually if you’re in a committee this size, we’re a little bit closer together. It’s a sign of the times and I’m hoping before too long that will change. Please go ahead Mr. Secretary.

Pete Buttigieg: (17:04)Thank you.
Chairman Leahy: (17:14)Is your microphone on?

Pete Buttigieg: (17:16)
How about now? All right. Sorry about that Chairman. Thank you. Thank you to Vice Chairman Shelby, thanks to all of the members of the committee for inviting us to testify today. We’re gathering in a moment in which our infrastructure situation calls both for urgent action and for long-term strategic vision. As we speak, a climate crisis is already hurting Americans and it will continue to get far worse if we don’t act. And in this moment, we need to add back millions of jobs to fully recover from the pandemic even as we build a stronger foundation for the economic future. It’s in this context that we see The American Jobs Plan as a once in a generation opportunity to meet this consequential moment and to win the future for the country that we all serve. And this plan would improve more than 20,000 miles of roads and 10,000 bridges.
(18:10)
It will strengthen aviation ports and waterways. It will address critical backlogs in rail and expand world-class passenger rail services, including high-speed rail. It has dedicated funds for projects that will have significant benefit to the regional and national economy, but are too large or complex for existing funding programs. The American Jobs Plan will fix and modernize our transportation system so that our economy and our country can thrive. That means finally addressing the inequities of past transportation choices and it means increasing access and equity in projects going forward. And that means also tackling the climate crisis. In the United States, the transportation sector is the economy’s single biggest contributor to greenhouse gases which means it can and must be a big part of the solution to climate change. The American Jobs Plan will move us away from our over-reliance on fossil fuels and toward net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
(19:14)
It will spark an electric vehicle revolution, building a network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers across the country in urban and rural areas and provide rebates to make electric vehicles affordable for more Americans. The plan will double federal funding for public transit, making it a more reliable and accessible option to more people. And by investing billions to make travel safer for all Americans, whether they move by car, public transit, foot, bike, wheelchair or any other means, it will reduce congestion on the road and pollution in the air. We draw inspiration from the new deals infrastructure projects and president Eisenhower’s interstate highway system. But we cannot afford to rely on the original version of the roads, bridges and airports they built all those years ago. The need for new investment is impossible to ignore. We see it in the sections of California’s Highway 1 that fell into the ocean, in the Gulf Coast flooding that halted rail service after hurricane Harvey and in the loss of subway service for millions of New Yorkers after hurricane Sandy.
(20:25)
We see it in the storms on our coasts, the floods in the Midwest, the wildfires in California and the deadly snow storm in Texas, we must adapt. Our proposed resilience investments would support projects across America that reinforce, upgrade or realign existing transportation infrastructure to better withstand extreme weather events and other effects of climate change. I heard it’s said that The American Jobs Plan should be about roads and bridges but should not address climate change. I would compare that to drawing up plans for a new restaurant, with no consideration for health, safety or cleanliness. The truth is that every infrastructure decision is already inevitably a climate decision as well. Our choices on roads, bridges and other infrastructure must recognize and reduce the very real threat that climate change poses to American lives and livelihoods. This is also our opportunity to deliver equity where it has been denied in the past. Which is why at least 40% of the benefits of the plans climate investments will flow to overburdened and underserved communities who often bear a disproportionate burden of transportation pollution. And yes, this is fundamentally an investment in our economy. The time has come to break the old false framework of climate versus jobs. After all, American workers are going to do the work, rebuilding roads, laying new cables and pipes, retrofitting buildings, installing electric vehicle chargers and manufacturing the vehicles that will use those electric chargers. This is America’s biggest jobs investment since World War II, supporting millions of new prevailing wage jobs, the majority of which will be available to people without a college degree. I look forward to working with members of the committee to make that possible. Thank you again for the opportunity to appear and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

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