Norton Priorities for Job Creation & Stimulus Favored in Bill (1/22/09)

Washington, D.C.- The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on which Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) is a chair, heard testimony today on infrastructure investments, showing that the District stands to benefit significantly from the stimulus bill in jobs and construction because of the disproportionate number of federal buildings and sites here, and added funds allocated to rehabilitation of two federal tourist attractions, the Smithsonian and the National Mall as well as other sections of the Transportation and Infrastructure bill. Norton will hold a hearing shortly. Norton's subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management is responsible for $7.7 billion in the bill. For every $1 million of funds invested in federal construction, $4.3 million is generated where the construction occurs. D.C. will receive some funding for schools as well, but the subcommittee has yet not worked out the formula for expenditure.

Infrastructure investment has been repeatedly found not only to benefit the construction industry, but fully half of the employment gains to a wide variety of sectors outside of construction, with income going to a full range of goods and services. Repair and rehabilitation will generate more jobs for people with many kinds of skills, including construction workers, but also many others, especially minorities and others who often are not journeymen or apprentices. Norton has been particularly concerned that jobs beyond construction are created and that jobs created in construction also go to minorities and women. She introduced an amendment to be included because of the underutilization of women and minorities in construction.

Norton said that the formula funding used to distribute the other funds in the bill also favor the District, which always ranks near the top in transportation and infrastructure funding. The District's focus on public transit has paid off in this bill, with a public transit amount of $110,210,148, ranking 14th in funding, and $112,502,711 for "fixed guideways" (transit services that use right of ways, including buses), with D.C. ranked 6th in the nation. The transit funds will be used for buses and subways, repair, maintenance, and improvements, including smart card fast lanes, and safety.

The highways and bridges funding, $124,531,869, will speed our two priority projects, the South Capitol bridge near the ballpark and the 11th street bridge. The $28,496,754 for the District in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund will benefit Norton's priority on water projects, among them fixing the combined sewer overflow that dumps waste into the Anacostia River, guaranteeing its pollution. Norton was the lead sponsor on the Anacostia Watershed Initiative, which passed last year as part of the Water Resources Development bill provided over $55 million for Anacostia clean-up related projects and created a 10-year comprehensive plan for clean-up. Among the many other projects WASA can undertake with the funding provided are combined sewer overflows under the Whitehurst Freeway and near Washington Harbor in Georgetown, and similar locations at Rock Creek Park, near Kalorama, Woodley Park and the Q street bridge, storm sewer replacement at Park Drive and Bangor and under Pennsylvania Avenue and 38th Street SE, as well as nitrogen removal facilities. WASA can also replace the many broken fire hydrants in the District. A recent fire in Bloomingdale, where neighbors say two broken fire hydrants by the scene forced the firefighters to run hoses from a block away.