House Proceeding on Mar 12th, 2009 :: 0:35:05 to 0:38:30
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0:35:02 to 0:35:22( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: cannot keep their water clean and cannot do the things that are necessary and so iortant for our country. mr. di-balart: will the gentleman yield? mr. arcuri: i'll yield. mr. diaz-balart: i hope my did praise the underlying legislation. mr. arcuri: i understand. mr. diaz-balart: thank you. mr. arcuri: reclaiming my time, mr. speaker. i'd yield three minutes to the

0:35:05 to 0:38:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Betty Sue Sutton

0:35:23 to 0:35:44( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: gentlewoman from ohio, a former colleague from the rules committee, ms. sutton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for three minutes. ms. sutton: thank you, mr. speaker. i ank the gentleman from new york for his leadership on this issue and for the time that he's yielded to me. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation, h.r. 1262, the water quality investment act of 2009.

0:35:45 to 0:36:05( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: this bill provides a total investment of $18.7 billion over five years for much-need water and environmental infrastructure. not only will this bill help provide communities with improved water quality, but it must be remembered that it will create over 480 million jobs.

0:36:06 to 0:36:26( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: h.r. 1262 provides $13.8 billion in federal grants to the clean water state revolving fund over the next five years. this fund provides low-interest loans to our communities so that they can repair wastewater infrastructure. and that is desperately need. like much of the nation's infrastructure, the wastewater systems in my district are

0:36:27 to 0:36:47( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: aging and they are in dire need of repair or in some cases replacement. and, mr. speaker, i'm also pleased that this legislation includes a buy american provision. this provision will require that steel, iron and other manufactured goods used for the construction of these water projects are produced here in the united states.

0:36:48 to 0:37:09( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: the economic downturn has taken a toll on u.s. manufacturing, including the steel plants in my district in ohio. and with this legislation and with this buy american provision we will be putting americans back to work doing work that america needs to have done. the bill also contains davis-bacon protections

0:37:10 to 0:37:30( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: requiring that the workers who will do this work will be paid a local prevailing wage, a wage that will ensure that they are able to provide for their families which is all that they really are looking to do. now, last year congress passed the great lakes legacy act to

0:37:31 to 0:37:51( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: clean up contaminated toxic sediments that are endangering communities across the great lakes basin, which is an area home to approximately 40 million people in eight states, including ohio. and as you may recall, mr. speaker, the house passed version of that bill provided $150 million each year through fiscal year 2013 for cleaning

0:37:52 to 0:38:12( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: up the great lakes. however, our colleues on the other side of the capitol in the senate operate uer different floor rules. and one senator, one senator was able to block action on the bill until funng levels for this program were cut by 2/3. this bill also restores the

0:38:13 to 0:38:31( Edit History Discussion )

Betty Sue Sutton: funding level for the great lakes legacy act projects to the level initially and overwhelmingly passed by the house last september. the residents of the great lakes basin have been waiting far too long for these toxic sites to be cleaned up. the funding in this bill will