ranking member tonko and members of the subcommittee.other panelists there's a button in the middle. hit that button when it's time to speak. thank you. >> thank you. i'm pleased to be here today to discuss the infrastructure needs facing rural communities across the nation, particularly for drinking water systems. the u.s. faces costly upgrades to ageing water infrastructure. the demand for drinking water and waste water infrastructure projects in communities with populations of 10,000 and fewer is estimated to be more than 190 billion in coming decades. my statement today summarizes the results of our reports on rural water infrastructure. i'll focus on two main areas. first rural agencies funding for drinking water. and waste water infrastructure. issues affecting rural communities abilities to obtain funding for this type of infrastructure. first, federal agencies administer programs that can provide funding and technical assistance to rural communities to help them build drinking water and waste water systems anticipate comply with

tonko, please join us. . mr. tonko: thanks for this special order on middle-income economics and growing jobs and the economy. that must be our top priority. making certain that the dignity of work and the strength of drawing a pay check is the american dream. we want to help individuals and families across this country to move forward to utilize their skills, talents and passions to be able to maintain a household, raise a family, and again, provide for that american dream. it's always a pleasure to join you when we're speaking to these issues so forcefully and know there is a solution out there there is a way to grow this economy and looking at some of the items mentioned in the budget we should pay attention of. thank you for leading us in a recent motion to recommit to make certain that those who will stack those votes, supporting cargo of l.n.g. create american jobs. we need to be very, very much disciplined as to how we create a working agenda for america's families and that is one step in the process. but

tonko and mr. harper to now get together and try to see where there's similarities and agreement so we can kind of move forward together and you can see there's a lot of areas in our country that are kind of left behind just because they're small. it's not a political statement. it's just the nature of our country. i really appreciate the involvement of my colleagues too. so thank you. i need some business to do. i ask unanimous consent that all subcommittee members have five legislative days to submit opening statements for the record. without objection so ordered. also unanimous consent in asserting a letter from dr. ralph jones and a letter and report from the environmental working group without objection. so ordered. and remind folks that members of the committee have ten days to submit written questions for the witnesses to be included. you may get some as follow-up. we'd ask you that answer those, or return those if you can. and that is without objection. so ordered. and with that the hearing

tonko in mr. harper to get together and try to see where there are similarities and agreements that we can move forward together. you can see where there is a lot of areas in our country that are behind just because they are small. it's not a political statement, it's just the nature of our country. i really appreciate the involvement of my colleagues too so thank you. i have some business to to do and i ask unanimous can -- consent of all subcommittees have five legislative days to submit opening statements for the record. also unanimous consent and inserting the letter from dr. roe jones and her report from the environmental working group. without objection so ordered and members of the committee have 10 days to submit written questions for the witnesses to be included and its follow-up we ask that you would return us if you can and without objection so ordered. with that this meeting is adjourned. [inaudible conversations] >> would the opening of the suez canal in 1869 sailing ships were almost

tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. i do appreciate the opportunity to utilize the time allotted to the democrats in the house to speak to the issue of trade. there are many who see this issue as an important issue. others are now beginning to understand some of the dynamics as they relate to free trade versus fair trade and just what the dynamics of some of the last decades were. the recent past history have indicated as they relate to american jobs and the american economy. this will be a good opportunity for us to address in fuller terms the issues of trade that we believe need to be addressed significantly well before we go forward with these negotiated contracts that could cause undesirable results rather than those for which we all, i would believe, want to work. the opportunity to provide for individuals to tether the american dream, to be able to go forth with dignity, to assume jobs that allow them to express their skills and god-given talents and to be able to have that soulfulness of earning a paycheck. so we

with this in mind i rise today to introduce the stem gateways act, along with representative tonko and senator gillibrand, to make sure that access to the jobs of tomorrow are spread to all americans. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from north carolina seek recognition? ms. foxx: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. foxx: thank you mr. speaker. the first month of the 114th congress has been a busy one as house republicans have gotten right to work tackling the difficult issues facing the nation. we started off the new year by passing two pieces of bipartisan legislation designed to minimize the consequences caused by obamacare. we also approved three bills that will help us on our way to energy independence and increase access to affordable north american oil. the house acted swiftly to defund the president's executive actions on illegal aliens in their entirety, and we also passed legislation that wou

tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that the house bring up h.r. 861, the clean department of homeland security funding bill that would keep the department open so that it can carry out its mission of keeping the american people safe. the speaker pro tempore: as previously announced, the unanimous consent request cannot be entertained. mr. polis: mr. speaker, i yield to the gentlelady from florida, ms. castor, for the purposes of a unanimous consent request. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida is recognized. mr. castro: thank you mr. speaker. mr. speaker -- ms. castor: thank you mr. speaker. i ask that the house bring up h.r. 861 that quoo keep the department open so it can carry out its mission of keeping the american people safe. the speaker pro tempore: as previously announced, unanimous consent request cannot be entertained. mr. polis: mr. speaker, my colleague from california, ms. chu, has a solution to the funding impasse at d.h.s. i'd like to yield to her for the purposes

i thank the chairman and majority staff for working with ranking member tonko, myself and the democratic staff to improve the bill. for too long republicans in congress have been more interested in attacking the e.p.a. than supporting the important work the agency does to protect human health. and safe drinking water should be a bipartisan issue. unfortunately, this bill does lack resources. addressing cyanotoxin in drinking water is very expensive for states and water utilities. if congress doesn't make funding available at the federal level, the money will have to come out of already-strained state budgets or out of consumers' pockets. the cooperative agreements envisioned in the bill can address some of these costs mr. speaker, but only if they are funded and the strenalic plan will have no impact -- strategic plan will have no impact. so i hope this bill will address important threats like climate change fracking, security and aging infrastructure. as we continue our drinking water work this congress, i hope the majority will recognize the importance of funding in addressing these ne

tonko: i rise to recognize the importance of stem education and training for our future engineers. it has been projected that our nation will need almost two million engineers by 2018 and that some fields in engineers will experience a 30% to 70% growth during that time frame. despite these critical work forest needs, a vast majority of schools do not offer k through 12 education that creates clear pathway into careers in engineering and stem-related fields this week i visited tech valley high school in albany, new york in the 20th district. to highlight this need and celebrate the good work being done in my congressional district to close the skills gap we see in this very vital discipline. the nation that -- the nations that lend the -- that will lead the global economy of the future will be those that invest in the education of their next generation, particularly in engineering. i urge my colleagues to recognize this need and work in their own communities to bolster engineering education nationwide and allow our nation to become the kingpin of the future international autonomy.