Date: 2010-02-23
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. it is a privilege to offer this resolution during Black History Month honoring African Americans contributions to transportation and infrastructure in America. African Americans have played an instrumental role in developing and improving the transportation and infrastructure of the United States. African Americans have had significant and farreaching influence on all modes of transportation. leading to major improvements in operations. safety. and security on our railways. airways. and highways. Because of the contributions of these pioneering African Americans. thousands of young people have been inspired to a higher calling. Without their contributions. we wouldnt have the bicycle. safety gates on bridges. turning signals. automatic traffic signals. airconditioned trucks and rail cars. automatic transmissions. and hundreds of other inventions that make transportation safer and more efficient for everyone. Transportation also has a storied history in the civil rights movement. Everyone knows that Rosa Parks refusal to move to the back of the bus was one of the defining moments in the fight for equal rights for people of color. When I was elected to Congress in 1992. I. along with Congressman ALCEE HASTINGS and Congresswoman CARRIE MEEK. were the first African Americans to serve in the House of Representatives from Florida since Reconstruction. From the moment I was elected. I fought for a seat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. and I am honored to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads. Pipelines. and Hazardous Materials. Serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has allowed me to provide good jobs and expand economic development and new transportation options for the people of my district. my State. and throughout the United States. Today on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. African Americans serve four Chairs in six subcommittees. and along with Chairman OBERSTAR and other Members. we are working to restore fairness for minorities and women in all aspects of our Nations transportation system. We all do our part to support the Nations transportation system. and we all deserve a seat at the table so we can build and design the systems of the future. I often compare it to my grandmothers delicious sweet potato pie: We all pay for the ingredients. and we all deserve a slice of the pie. I believe it is our duty to ensure that minorities and womenowned businesses are able to compete for contracts as we spend billions of Federal dollars on transportation projects. The tragedies in Haiti and the Gulf Coast show just how critical our transportation systems are to protecting our citizens. without it. we are often helpless. Too often we take our infrastructure for granted. but it is truly what separates a superpower from a Third World country. Lastly. I would like to talk about the importance of transportation to our economy. Transportation projects put people to work. create economic development. and provide a better community. Nothing creates jobs better than infrastructure projects. In fact. the $34.3 billion in the Recovery Act for transportation projects created 250.000 direct jobs and 760.000 indirect jobs. Today we are standing on the shoulders of those pioneering giants that came before us. As we make bigger strides each day to improve transportation. we must not forget the "never give up" attitude that made these inventions and milestones possible. I would encourage all Members to vote "yes" on this resolution and show their support for the brave men and women who against all odds made America a better place to live. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.