Norton Reports DC Progress as She Questions Transportation Officials on Stimulus Job & More

Norton Reports D.C. Progress as She Questions Transportation Officials on Stimulus Job and Apprenticeship Training

December 10, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - At a hearing on stimulus jobs creation today, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a subcommittee chair on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, questioned U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari on the ripple effects of job creation and apprenticeship progress under the stimulus bill. Porcari told Norton that, quite apart from construction, the bill is significantly helping to revive a number of sectors with indirect jobs, the prime reason infrastructure spending is favored during a recession.

Norton noted that the District of Columbia's movement from the bottom of the list of jobs created and contract dollars awarded in transportation projects to 40th on the list. She conceded that the District had unique difficulties without a large construction staff, like other states and must contract out all work. However, Norton also said that the District's early low-rank was in part because, instead of simply laying concrete for resurfacing highways, the city took the time to finalize contracts and initiate spending for more pedestrian and bike friendly projects, such as the Smart Bike program expansion, Safe Routes to School and projects that improve local retail and commercial development. In fact, Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Jim Oberstar, had joined Norton and other officials at Murch Elementary school last month to celebrate a national award for the best Safe Routes to School program in the country. "The return on investment on these projects, through improved quality of life and jobs created, will have long lasting effects," Norton said. "Our local projects epitomize the new directions we in the Committee are encouraging with all highway funds today."

Norton, who has a bill for mandated training in the pending surface transportation reauthorization bill, also received assurances from Porcari that the $20 million she was instrumental in securing for on-the-job training by the U.S. Department of Transportation is going towards bringing more women and minorities into the construction trades. He reported that $8.6 million in training funds had been allocated in the first round of training funding and the rest was expected to be out soon.