| 00:00:00 | HIGGINS: MR. |
| 00:00:01 | SPEAKER, YESTERDAY WE MARKED THE END OF THE WAR IN IRAQ. |
| 00:00:03 | I JOIN WITH ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES IN EXPRESSING OUR GRATITUDE TO THOSE AMERICANS WHO SERVED WHEN THEIR COUNTRY CALLED. |
| 00:00:10 | WE OWE IT TO OUR RETURNING VETERANS TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ECONOMY THEY'RE RETURNING TO IS STRONG AND PROSPEROUS. |
| 00:00:17 | THE UNITED STATES SPENT $62 BILLION NATION BUILDING IN IRAQ. |
| 00:00:21 | THE END OF THE WAR WILL GENERATE ENOUGH SAVINGS TO PUT A DOWN PAYMENT ON NATION BUILDING WE NEED TO DO RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA. |
| 00:00:27 | AN AGGRESSIVE INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, REBUILDING OUR ROADS, BRIDGES, RAILS AND WATER SYSTEMS CAN GENERATE THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WE NEED TO REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT. |
| 00:00:36 | A $1. |
| 00:00:37 | 2 TRILLION INVESTMENT WILL CREATE 27 MILLION JOBS OVER FIVE YEARS. |
| 00:00:41 | THIS GROWTH WILL BOTH REDUCE THE DEBT AND DEFICIT. |
| 00:00:45 | WE HAVE DEFERED INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN AMERICA FOR TOO LONG. |
| 00:00:50 | WE GET A DEGRADING FROM THE SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PREDICTS A $362 BILLION IN LOSS GROWTH OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WILL OCCUR UNLESS WE REPAIR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. |
| 00:01:01 | MR. |
| 00:01:02 | SPEAKER, WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT OUR RETURNING VETERANS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AND TO REBUILD THIS NATION HERE AT HOME. |
| 00:01:10 | I YIELD BACK THE BALANCE OF |
Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we marked the end of the war in Iraq. I join with all of my colleagues in expressing our gratitude to those Americans who served when their country called. We owe it to our returning veterans to do everything we can to make sure that the economy they are returning to is strong and prosperous.
The United States spent $62 billion nation building in Iraq. The end of the war will generate enough savings to put a downpayment on nation building we need to do right here in America. An aggressive investment in infrastructure, rebuilding our roads, bridges, rails, and water systems can generate the economic activity we need to reduce unemployment. A $1.2 trillion investment will create 27 million jobs over 5 years. This growth will both reduce the debt and deficit.
We have deferred infrastructure investments in America for too long. We get a D grade from the Society of Civil Engineers. The Chamber of Commerce predicts $362 billion in lost growth over the next 5 years will occur unless we repair our infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, we need to do everything we can to ensure that our returning veterans have an opportunity to work and to rebuild this Nation right here at home.
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