H. Res. 313 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

May 5, 2009. 

Whereas public works infrastructure, facilities, and services 

have far-reaching effects on the United States economy 

and the Nation’s competitiveness in the world marketplace; 

Whereas public works infrastructure, facilities, and services 

play a pivotal role in the health, safety, and quality of 

life of communities throughout the United States; 

Whereas public works infrastructure, facilities, and services 

could not be provided without the skill and dedication of 

public works professionals, including engineers and administrators, representing State and local governments 

throughout the United States; 

Whereas public works professionals design, build, operate, 

maintain, and protect the transportation systems, water 

supply infrastructure, sewage and refuse disposal systems, public buildings, and other structures and facilities 

that are vital to the citizens, communities, and commerce 

of the United States; 

Whereas the Corps of Engineers, in partnership with public 

port authorities, provides navigational improvements that 

link United States producers and customers with national 

and international markets; 
2 

•HRES 313 EH 

Whereas the public waterways, including locks and dams constructed, operated, and maintained by the Corps of Engineers, provide a safe, energy efficient, and cost effective 

means of transporting goods and services; 

Whereas the Corps of Engineers, in partnership with local 

public entities, provides levees, reservoirs, and other 

structural and nonstructural flood damage reduction 

measures that protect millions of families, homes, and 

businesses; 

Whereas a recent analysis of the state of the United States 

infrastructure garnered an overall grade of ‘‘D’’; 

Whereas every $1 invested in public transportation generates 

as much as $6 in economic returns to the Nation’s economy; 

Whereas the Nation’s public transportation systems experienced record ridership levels in 2008 with 

10,680,000,000 passenger trips taken; 

Whereas infrastructure investment from all levels of government and the private sector is currently $85,000,000,000 

annually; 

Whereas the capital asset program of the General Services 

Administration is authorized annually to provide Federal 

employees with necessary office space, courts of law, and 

other special purpose facilities; 

Whereas since 1972 the Nation has invested more than 

$250,000,000,000 in wastewater infrastructure facilities 

to establish a system that includes 16,000 publicly owned 

wastewater treatment plants, 100,000 major pumping 

stations, 600,000 miles of sanitary sewers, and 200,000 

miles of storm sewers; 
3 

•HRES 313 EH 

Whereas the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is charged with the safe and secure movement of almost 1,200,000 daily shipments of hazardous 

materials by all modes of transportation and oversees the 

safety and security of 2,300,000 miles of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, which account for 64 percent of 

the energy commodities consumed in the United States; 

Whereas the National Railroad Passenger Corporation annually provides more than 28,000,000 people with intercity 

rail service; 

Whereas 15 new runways, 2 end-around taxiways, and 1 

reconfigured runway have opened at the Nation’s busiest 

airports since 2001; 

Whereas 3 of the Nation’s busiest airports currently have airfield projects (1 new runway, 1 taxiway, and a reconfiguration) under construction to provide an additional 

110,900 annual operations and to decrease average 

delays by approximately 1.5 minutes per operation; 

Whereas in the report of the Department of Transportation 

entitled ‘‘2006 Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges, 

and Transit: Conditions & Performance’’, the Department confirms that investment in the Nation’s highway, 

bridge, and transit infrastructure has not kept up with 

growing demands on the system; 

Whereas the National Surface Transportation Policy and 

Revenue Study Commission report estimates that the 

United States needs to invest up to $340,000,000,000 

annually for the next 50 years to upgrade the Nation’s 

existing transportation network to a good state of repair 

and to build the more advanced facilities the Nation will 

require to remain competitive; 
4 

•HRES 313 EH 

Whereas the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure 

Financing Commission report estimates that, without 

changes to current policy, revenues raised by all levels of 

government for capital investment will total only 36 percent of the $200,000,000,000 necessary each year to 

maintain and improve United States highways and transit systems; 

Whereas the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure 

Financing Commission report also finds that there is a 

growing investment gap in the Nation’s infrastructure 

that will total nearly $400,000,000,000 in the years 2010 

through 2015 and $2,300,000,000,000 in the years 2010 

through 2035; and 

Whereas public works professionals are observing National 

Public Works Week from May 17 through 23, 2009: 

Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Public 

Works Week; 

(2) recognizes and celebrates the important contributions that public works professionals make every 

day to improve the public infrastructure of the United 

States and the communities that those professionals 

serve; and 

(3) urges citizens and communities throughout the 

United States to join with representatives of the Federal 

Government in activities and ceremonies that are designed to pay tribute to the public works professionals 
5 

•HRES 313 EH 

of the Nation and to recognize the substantial contributions that public works professionals make to the Nation. 

Attest: 

Clerk.