San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier and Bay Area public transit and rail leaders to celebrate the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests $4.5 billion in Bay Area rail, highway and public transit.  Below are the Speaker’s remarks:

 

Speaker Pelosi.  Thank you so much, very much for your very kind words, Executive Director Gonzalez.  I love to see women in power like that.

 

[Applause]

 

Especially with something like Transbay’s power and authority.  Thank you so much for your very generous words, which I accept on behalf of the House Democrats and, now President Biden as well, for making so much of this possible.  You gave some of the history of what it was and how it came to be.  I just want to add a little bit to that. 

 

First of all, let me say: I'm so excited about this morning, for what it means.  I'm so honored to be here with my colleague Jackie Speier, who’s been here –

 

[Applause]

 

A champion from the Bay to Transbay and everything that that implies.  And, of course, to be here with Mark DeSaulnier, who is on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. 

 

[Applause]

 

I’ll say more about all of that as we go along.  But, just to put it in context, when he was in the state legislature, John Burton was instrumental in the transfer of land for the Center, for it to be on this spot.  So, let us acknowledge that. 

 

[Applause]

 

And part of that, of that transfer, was at least 35 percent of that would be for affordable housing.  Thank you, John Burton.

 

[Applause]  

 

[Inaudible] – some time – you, beautifully, you characterized it, the values and the rest, but in time, on August 11th, 2010, Transbay terminal groundbreaking with the Mayor, with the Secretary LaHood in the Obama Administration, Mayor Newsom, Senator Boxer and George Miller, who – he was the predecessor to Mr. DeSaulnier on Education and Labor.  They both served as very much a part of this, in terms of who would do the building.  And, then that was August [2010].  September 2013, Mayor Lee and I, joint effort, had our hands imprinted into the cement, and it was a wonderful day.  It wasn't – it was – this is easy, but we were climbing over –

 

[Laughter]

 

You know, I can’t do that too much.

 

[Laughter]

 

But all of our friends in labor were there, and it was a big labor occasion, as well, to make that transition.  Then, three years later, March, 2016, Transbay Center’s distinctive unveiling of the awning.  Again, another step in its progress.  And, then, 2018, Salesforce Transit Center tour, the ribbon cutting.  So, again, get the ground, break the ground, construction along the way, to get the reports – and it was really beautiful, the creativity of it all was so lovely.  It was really – this building is a work of art. 

 

So, in any event, here we are today.  And here we are today.  It’s something very important, because, again, Director Gonzalez from the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, and then, the Lateefah Simon from the Director of BART board, Michelle Bouchard, Acting Director of Caltrain, and Brian Kelly, CEO of High-Speed Rail Authority.  All of these entities, many of you on these boards, are so important to this magnificent achievement. 

 

I want to also thank our other Members of the Bay Area: Zoe Lofgren; of course, Jackie.  Anna Eshoo was here a couple weeks ago.  We did one of our ‘Democrats Deliver‘ presentations.  She talked about how $4 billion in the – not the Build Back Better, the bill that’s already signed.  The BIF, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, would be here.  Barbara Lee talked about what it means across the Bay, and Jared Huffman, in terms of how we're doing this in a green way.  And, of course, Mark DeSaulnier was with us then.  But our Bay Area Members have all been a part of that. 

 

I'm taking a little time because this has taken some time, and there's a lot to – a lot of credit to attribute.  The Salesforce Transit Center is a testament to the truth that this is one of the most important public dollars that we can spend.  Because, what does it do?  It builds infrastructure, which improves the quality of life, more people taking public transportation, clean air for our children, less time in cars for their families, boosts the quality of life.  It promotes commerce in every possible way, whether moving people to work, to and from, but also product and the rest, writ large, the infrastructure.  Children to school, all of it about family, and doing so with good-paying union jobs.

 

[Applause]

 

[Inaudible] worker protections in the legislation.  Delivering a better quality of life, I said.  Advancing equity — this is being done in a new, fresh way.  Not like a road going through a neighborhood and dividing the community of interest, but instead breaking down all those barriers to community common interest, and to do so in a way in a way that is environment – promotes environmental justice and, again, connecting our communities.  So, while this is – this structure here, what is implied by it in the community and the rest is just remarkable, transformational and really historic. 

 

That's why, when the COVID pandemic hit, we insisted in the CARES Act that we have – and then, following that when President Biden became President, in the American Rescue Package, that we would keep our transit systems running, that we would save transit operators’ jobs in doing so, that we would secure transportation vital for essential workers, providing – now this is an important number, in that bill, our bill that we did with the President – $70 billion in federal transit support, including $4 billion for the San Francisco Bay Area for Bay Area transit operators –

 

[Applause]

 

BART, Caltran and more.  $4 billion that’s here.  As Anna said at the other presser, guaranteed $4 billion.

 

But President Biden had the vision to know that our nation needed not only to build but to Build Back Better, and the Build Back Better agenda — which were waiting on the actions of the Senate — is the biggest, boldest investment, with the two of them together in our country's history, including a once in a generation investments in infrastructure writ large.

 

We celebrate the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which secures historic investments to rebuild America, including the largest ever investments to do this: [modernize] our nation's transit and replace aging infrastructure, combat the climate crisis, taking cars off the road to lower emissions from the transportation, advance equity, expanding transit options, particularly to communities of color and, and improving accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities.  That’s very important to us.

 

Yesterday, we had the ceremony for Senator Dole, who was a champion on Americans with Disabilities Act.  That was, that was an expansion of freedom that our Constitution may not have imagined, but was made possible in that way.

 

And, for California, we have specifically secured $10 billion for state transit.  Now, I’m giving you all this because this is really change.  This is really different and under President Amtrak Joe –

 

[Applause]

 

Self-described in that way.  In fact, at the funeral, yesterday – no, the day before Friday, the funeral we had in the Capitol, they asked Senator Dole, when he was the Majority Leader, a leader in the Senate, ‘Why did you give all that money to Amtrak?’  And he said, ‘Because that was the best way to get Joe Biden to go home every night.’  He used an expletive to describe it.  I won’t go there.

 

[Laughter]

 

And it’s interesting to note that it's a biggest investment in passenger rail since Amtrak's creation.  China already has 22,000 miles of high-speed rail, which will double by 2035.  Japan has had high-speed rail for nearly 60 years.  And now, America will invest in bringing world-class rail across the country, upgrading and expanding Amtrak, investing in new passenger rail improvement, like the California High-Speed Rail Project.  Brian will be talking about that.  Secure billions for grade – secure crossings – improved grade crossing improvements to end traffic collisions, fatalities and injuries.  Security is really a very important part of infrastructure.  It makes our bridges safer.  It makes our transportation safer and the rest.

 

So again, if I'm going on long, it’s because I would go on longer if I didn't stick to my notes

 

[Laughter]

 

I just went on talking about how –

 

[Laughter]

 

And, now, with the Build Back Better Act, the most historic legislation for working families in the century – jobs, bigger – union jobs, higher-paying jobs, lower cost, cuts taxes, make the wealthiest and big corporations pay their fair share.  Build Back Better celebrates investments in infrastructure — again $10 billion for new transit initiatives to support access to affordable housing.  

 

We in California know it's expensive to live some places.  In order for people to have access to jobs, they have to have faster access from homes where housing is affordable.  So, the connection between transit and housing very seriously recognized.  Maxine Waters and Peter DeFazio worked together to make that happen.  And $10 billion specifically dedicated to high-speed rail, which I did mention.  And will not repeat the planning mistakes of the past because this will be about the future.

 

Over a decade ago, this, as was mentioned, was a rundown terminal that was no longer worthy of the innovative transit city that San Francisco is.  Under President Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden, in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was a democratic initiative in the Congress, we were able to break ground, build the [Transbay] below — $400 million, as was indicated in that bill to build, $400 million to build that was in that legislation, and we enjoy taking us to where we are today.  But our work is never complete.

 

We always want more, and with the investments made possible by President Biden, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the Build Back Better bill – what we did in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act under President, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, will be Caltrans high-speed rail, into the center, in the heart of downtown San Francisco.  And so there we are. 

 

Now, I am – I afforded myself that luxury, because it represents so much work by so many people.  Our legislators, those staff, the communities, the intellectual resource that you all are.  So,  I hope every one of you takes pride in the role that you played, because this was, it’s complex.  There are many considerations that go into this, and you're going to hear more about it from our distinguished guests.

 

It's my privilege now to yield to Lateefah Simon, a Director of the BART Board of Directors, a national recognized advocate for civil rights and racial justice, a power – powerhouse of progress in the Bay Area, education, policing, youth service, tech and so much more.  So to see how all of this comes together — and what we're talking about today.  Lateefah, I yield the floor to you.

 

***

 

When we talk about all the things that are in this legislation, we do not go down this road to make this point to when the day – to do so in a way that doesn't – that diminishes the prospect for workers.  In this legislation, we have workforce development.  We had a ‘Democrats Deliver’ event a couple of weeks ago with the friends in labor at a union training center, the Joseph Mazzola Union – Plumber’s Union Center where we were seeing young people being trained, apprenticed, and how to engage in these very important jobs.  

 

So the fact that these will be Davis-Bacon, good-paying jobs was really essential to its success.  Because when we say ‘prevailing wage,’ people say- ‘Well, is it also more expensive?’  We say: ‘No, it’s not more expensive.  It's more quality, and we're doing it right.’

 

Really central to that – that we’re very honored to to have with us Rudy Gonzalez, who was with us then, he’s with us now, because as you see, this is complicated.  We have shared values.  There are lots of ideas about how to fulfill them.  You all have been a part of that.  And, that's why we can succeed nationally, because we have ideas of national significance.  The leadership roles on how we get things done, and that's why California is so frequently the first, and then, as Mr. DeSaulnier said, pay attention to what we're doing because you may be doing it very soon.  And with that, I'm really honored to yield the floor to the person brings it all together – excuse me. 

 

And you're right about this light.  I got a light blazing in my eyes, print this small.  Rudy Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer of the Building and Construction Trade Council.

 

***

 

It’s almost impossible to talk about high-speed rail without talking about Jim Costa, because he has been relentless, dissatisfied and persistent.   And I am now happy that we have the opportunity in the legislation.  He, as a former legislator, as our Members are, hopefully will be helpful to us to get what we need at the state level, to accommodate what we are doing at the federal level.  Rudy mentioned Patrick — Patrick Doherty come here.  Some other future – come on kids. 

 

[Applause]

 

Come in a little closer.  Because this is about the future.  This is about the children.  Because as Mark said, Maxine goes around saying: ‘Housing is infrastructure, education is infrastructure as well.’  And we – as school construction and the rest, very much a part of it.  But job training, and again, we want to Build Back Better With Women.  So, in terms of child care, home health care.  Teaching, yes.  We have serious money in the Build Back Better legislation for our teachers.  Also the universal pre-K.

 

So all of this is about – it has an integrity to it, a oneness.  It's all related.  And, it's all about the future.  It's all about the children.  So that you are here is not only an inspiration to us, but a joy, because again, you're the purpose, you are the ‘why’ all of this is being done.  Tell us your name: this is Patrick and – Fritz.  Patrick and Fritz.  They are our VIPS.

 

[Applause]

 

Speaker Pelosi.  Thank you.  And they would like to take any questions.

 

[Laughter]

 

Speaker Pelosi.  I know that we try to anticipate every possible concern or question you might have about how we got here and where we are going from here, but in case you have any further questions let us start on this subject.  Any questions?  If I don’t see you, it’s because we are blinded by the light.

 

[Laughter]

 

Speaker Pelosi.  No?  Okay, well thank you all very much.  Thank you.

 

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