House Dems Want Infrastructure, Transportation Materials Made In US

By Andrea Salazar

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge may be located in the United States, but parts of it are stamped, “Made in China.”

To combat the loss of manufacturing jobs to China, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Democrats announced Thursday the introduction of a bill tightening the requirements for investments in infrastructure and transportation.

The Invest in American Jobs Act, sponsored by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), would mandate that all materials used in infrastructure and transportation projects funded by U.S. taxpayers be made in the United States.

“Made in China but paid for by American tax payers,” Rahall said referring to the Chinese materials and man-power used in replacing a part of the Bay Bridge. “We are no longer just buying cheap trinkets from China, we are literally buying bridges and major transportation infrastructure, while outsourcing innovation and capabilities that could be fostered and strengthened right here in the U.S. of A.”

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) echoed those sentiments and challenged Republicans in the House to pass the bill as part of a transportation bill expected in January, warning that otherwise “the jobs that you are going to tout that you’re creating with this bill are going to be created in other countries, not for American workers.”

Representatives from the AFL-CIO, United Steelworkers and United Streetcar also joined Rahall and other committee members in support of the Invest in American Jobs Act at a news conference Thursday.

Rahall told reporters that the bill’s reception has been “not negative,” adding that the bill is important because “when we make it in America, more Americans can make it.”

U.S. To "Lead The World In Clean Car Development," Says Granholm

By Miles Wolf Tamboli
Talk Radio News Service

"I believe we need to seize the momentum following last month's historic new fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, and I believe President Obama's announcement today does just that," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Friday, following the President's announcement and signing of a memorandum pledging to place stricter regulations on auto emissions for medium and large-size trucks.

During a conference call with reporters, LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson advocated last year's National Fuel Efficiency Policy, which requires that cars and light trucks reach an average fuel economy of 35.5 gallons per mile by 2016. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (D), who joined in the call, called the policy a "win-win-win" agreement, and attributed the recent economic recovery of her state - whose unemployment rates were, she said, "spiraling out of control" in 2008 - to the legislation which was just finally passed this April. The policy put forth by the administration one year ago is designed to potentially save the nation 1.8 billion barrels of oil in coming years.

Granholm applauded the President's endeavors to create a "national standard," by which she hopes that Michigan may, "produce the best fuel efficient vehicles in the world." Jackson asserted that the President's new memorandum, "sets our nation on the path to lead the world in the development of clean cars."

Added LaHood, "We are laying the foundation for a cleaner, greener transportation sector. This new and improved transportation sector will provide greater environmental benefits, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and enhance America's competitiveness with a new generation of advanced electric vehicles."

Pelosi Paints the Capital Green

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

To mark Earth Day, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi introduced a plan to paint green the marble columns of the Capitol with energy efficiency and environmental initiatives. She calls it the “Green the Capitol Initiative.”

Pelosi’s plan involves 15 distinct steps to conserve energy and reduce waste, and is aimed specifically at congressional offices. Among Pelosi’s 15 measures are the use of compact florescent light bulbs, recycling used office items, and conserving electricity by powering off lights and computers while not in use. Additionally, Speaker Pelosi is encouraging the use of public transportation and the conservation of basic office supplies.

“The Capitol, which has always served as a beacon of freedom, is now a shining example of sustainability.” Pelosi said. She continued that the House has reduced its carbon emissions by 72 percent recently. She continued that if all Congressional offices adopt this plan, it will result in a savings of $1 million in energy costs and will cut energy consumption in the Capitol by nearly 10 percent.

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oreg.), who Pelosi called “the main instigator” of the green plan, believes that Congress is setting a good example for the rest of the country. He said, “If we model the behavior we want the rest of America to follow, it has a profound effect.”

Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) said that one of the first things he did when coming into Congress was institute a recycling program in his offices. He grinned at the savings

“Just during the transition from the 110th to 111th Congress, Congress saved over 60,000 pounds of paper. Lujan joked with the Speaker, “I was going to bring an example of that, but I couldn’t forklift it in, just to give an example of what we’ve truly saved.”

Pelosi called it the moral responsibility of Congress. Her office is encouraging all members to adopt these “green” plans. “I think most members of the Congress are doing some of this,” but she could not give exact numbers on who has implemented all of these recommendations. “The Speakers office is doing all of this,” Pelosi said proudly of the recommendations.

At the end, Bush praises Transportation Achievements

President Bush said that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has had an "impressive record" on providing safety to air travelers during his presidency. He called the last seven years of air travel the "safest ever."

In a speech at the DOT today, Bush singled out Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, saying she has done a "fabulous job" and calling her "a strong leader." He praised her response to the bridge collapse on Aug. 1, 2007 of Highway I-35 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to Bush, Peters led "a swift and effective federal response" to the bridge collapse, and stated that the bridge was reopened "months ahead of schedule."

The President also declared that this December the government will open military air space to civilian air craft in areas of the East Coast, Midwest, Southwest, and the West Coast. He also said that this holiday season, the government, in an attempt to protect consumers, will increase regulations on airlines. He claimed there would be higher compensation assured to consumers who lost bags on flights, and tougher penalties for airlines that do not reveal hidden fees.

According to Bush, the administration has "taken steps to address the source of most flight delays and cancellations across the country, and that would be the heavy air traffic around New York City." He said they have accomplished this because they have "improved our traffic control."

Bush said that it is important to be innovative in improving air travel over the coming years. He said the energy bill he signed last year "will save fuel and cut greenhouse gas emissions by specifying a national fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020."

Bush advocated that the private sector be the leader in providing advancement. He felt that the government should "provide incentives" to "develop new technologies, invest in our infrastructure, and help make our transportation system worthy of the 21st century."

Climate change attacks infrastructure

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) held a discussion on the effects of climate change on Gulf Coast transportation and the New York City water supply. Michael Savonis, the air quality team leader of the Federal Highway Administration, said that those working in transportation are frequently conservative because of the billions of dollars involved, so considerations of investing in climate change preparation are tentative. But, as transportation infrastructure ages, climate change must be considered in building new roads, bridges, railways, and ports. The effects of climate change in the Gulf Coast area include a rise in average temperature between two and four degrees and a 50 percent increase in days with temperatures over 90 degrees. He said that as a result more than 2400 miles of roadways in the Gulf Coast area are at risk of permanent flooding as well as 75 percent of freight and non-freight port facilities. Because of the increase in heat, asphalt wears faster, train rails buckle more, and aircraft performance decreases.

On the topic of New York City’s water system, Cynthia Rosenzweig, the senior research scientist at the National Air and Space Administration Goddard Institute for Space, said that as temperatures increase, water quality goes down and freshwater becomes less available. As sea water levels increase, there is more stress on water treatment plants and more groundwater pollution. She said that changes made in preparation of climate change will not only be in infrastructure, but also in management, insurance, and policy.