Congresswoman Waters Supports Back to Work Budget

Washington, D.C. – Today at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) endorsed the Back to Work Budget, which was introduced by the Congressional Progressive Caucus and which creates jobs by increasing investments in infrastructure. Congresswoman Waters also simultaneously reintroduced her bill, the TIGER Grants for Job Creation Act, which provides one billion over two years in emergency appropriations for transportation infrastructure. The following are her remarks as prepared for delivery:

"I am proud to support the Back to Work Budget. This budget creates nearly 7 million jobs in the first year alone by investing in communities across the United States.

"Over the next decade, the Back to Work Budget increases investments in housing and income assistance programs by $312 billion and increases investments in community and regional development programs like CDBG by $78 billion.

"The Back to Work Budget also increases investments in transportation infrastructure by $1 trillion over the next decade. This critical investment can be used to put Americans back to work building our nation's highways, bridges, and mass transit. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimated that there is a $549 billion shortfall in investments in roads and bridges and an additional $190 billion shortfall in investments in transit.

"One of the programs highlighted in the Back to Work Budget is the TIGER program. TIGER – formally known as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery – is a competitive grant program that creates jobs by funding investments in transportation infrastructure by states and local governments.

"Today, I am reintroducing the TIGER Grants for Job Creation Act. This bill will provide an emergency supplemental appropriation of one billion dollars over the next two years for TIGER. And the money will be free from sequestration. This bill has over 50 original cosponsors, including many members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

"I urge all of my colleagues to pass this Back to Work Budget and put Americans back to work building our infrastructure and investing in our communities."

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