Sec. 2. Findings

272 words·~1 min read·/bill/114/hr/198/ih/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress finds the following: The rapid and cost efficient movement of goods throughout the United States supply chain, and particularly through United States trade gateways and corridors, is vital to securing the Nation’s economic future and maintaining the Nation’s competitiveness in world markets. More than $16 trillion worth of freight was moved in the United States in 2010, accounting for $13 trillion in domestic shipments and $3 trillion in international exports and imports.

Freight is forecasted to grow, with indicators showing that United States shipments will more than double between 2010 and 2040 to roughly $39.5 trillion annually, with an estimated $10.3 trillion worth of goods using multiple modes of transportation each year. By 2020, the Nation’s projected surface transportation infrastructure deficiencies are expected to cost the national economy cumulatively almost $900 billion in gross domestic product, rising to $2.7 billion through 2040.

It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to support business by helping to ensure multimodal freight networks that will provide reliable, efficient, and safe transportation, allowing cost-effective transport of goods to markets near and far. A national campaign of strategic investment to expand capacity and increase efficiency can circumvent the projected loss in United States productivity and decline in global competitiveness. In establishing national policies and programs to strengthen freight-related infrastructure, the President, Federal officials, and other relevant stakeholders should consider the critical importance of freight to United States businesses and global economic competitiveness.

Under the Constitution, it is the role of the Federal Government to protect and promote commerce with foreign nations and among the States through all reasonable means, including through investment in goods movement infrastructure.