Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, public schools play a vital role in every community across the Nation. They play a central role in our democracy--educating the next generation, serving as polling places for our elections, hosting community meetings and events, and so much more. When there is a natural disaster or an emergency, people often gather at their public schools for shelter, information, and resources. They are essential facilities and must be included in any new major federal investment in infrastructure. That is why I am proud to partner with Chairman Scott in the House of Representatives in introducing the Rebuild America's Schools Act to fix our schools. I would like to thank my Senate colleagues who are joining in this effort, including Senators Brown, Cortez Masto, Hassan, Warren, Whitehouse, Casey, Cardin, Duckworth, Merkley, Harris, Hirono, Gillibrand, Van Hollen, Rosen, Blumenthal, and Sanders.

Safe, healthy, modern, well-equipped schools are essential for advancing student achievement and ensuring that the next generation is prepared to meet the economic, social, environmental, and global challenges our nation faces. Yet, too many of the over 50 million students and six million staff who learn and work in our public schools spend their days in facilities that fail to make the grade. A 2014 Department of Education study estimated that it would cost $197 billion to bring all public schools into ``good'' condition. Nationally, there is also a $38 billion funding gap in annual capital construction and new facility funding, as reported in the 2016 State of Our Schools report. Despite the benefits and need, however, Federal funding accounts for 0.2% of the total current capital investment in our schools.

State and local communities cannot bridge this gap alone. Last November, Rhode Island voters approved a general obligation bond of $250 million dollars--the largest statewide bond ever--to upgrade our public school facilities. However, the State had identified over $2.2 billion in needed improvements to school infrastructure. Rhode Island is not the only State facing a school infrastructure crisis. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave public school buildings across the country an overall grade of D+ in their 2017 report card. The scope of the school infrastructure crisis is more than many, States or communities can address on their own. The Federal government can and should be a partner in upgrading our public school facilities.

Addressing this need is not only the right thing to do for our students; it will also give a needed boost to our economy, putting people to work in family sustaining jobs. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, every $1 billion spent on construction generates 17,785 jobs.

The Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2019 will create Federal-State partnership for school infrastructure. It will provide, over ten years, a total of $100 billion in direct grants and school construction bonds to help fill the annual gap in school facility capital needs, while creating nearly two million jobs.

Specifically, the Rebuild America's Schools Act will provide $7 billion per year in formula funds to States for local competitive grants for school repair, renovation, and construction. States will focus assistance on communities with the greatest financial need, encourage green construction practices, and expand access to high-speed broadband to ensure that all students have access to digital learning. Our legislation would also provide $30 billion for qualified school infrastructure bonds (QSIBs), $10 billion each year from FY 2020 through FY 2022, and restore the Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABS) that were eliminated in the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The legislation also eases the matching requirements and expands the authority and eligible purposes of QZABS to allow local education agencies to construct, rehabilitate, retrofit, or repair school facilities. The Rebuild America's Schools Act also supports American workers by ensuring that projects use American-made iron, steel, and manufactured products and meet labor standards.

I would like to thank the broad coalition of educators, community organizations, unions, civil rights advocates, and employers that have provided feedback and support for this legislation, including the American Federation of Teachers, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Association of School Building Administrators International, Brick Industry Association, Californians for School Facilities, Council of Great City Schools, Healthy Schools Network, International Union of Operating Engineers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Concrete Masonry Association, National Education Association, National PTA, National Rural Education Advocacy Consortium, National Rural Education Association, National Urban League, North America's Building Trades Unions, Organizations Concerned About Rural Education, Public Advocacy for Kids, Rebuild America's Schools, Rural School and Community Trust, Secure Schools Alliance, Teach Plus, Twenty-First Century Schools Fund, and U.S. Green Building Council. We look forward to expanding this coalition in the weeks and months ahead.

We have no time to waste in fixing our deteriorating school infrastructure. In the words of a student activist in Providence, ``Students cannot learn in a crumbling building, a school that isn't fit to uplift our minds.'' We need to listen to our students, strengthen our communities, and improve our school buildings. I urge all of our colleagues to support the Rebuild America's Schools Act and press for its passage.

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