WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) delivered the following statement, as prepared for delivery, at the first Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing of the 118th Congress on “The State of Transportation Infrastructure and Supply Chain Challenges.”

“Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen, thank you for holding this hearing today. And thank you to the witnesses for your participation. I’d like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. 

“As a brief introduction, I made Utah my home 12 years ago. It’s saying something about the quality of life in Utah that each of my 6 children and all of my 13 grandchildren have also made Utah their home. 

“The secret is out, though. Utah has been the fastest growing state in the Union over the past 10 years. Our population is expected to double by 2050. With transportation projects tied to this growth and Salt Lake City’s Winter Olympics bid and water projects connected to our need to store and preserve water, the transportation and infrastructure committee is a crucial committee for my district.       

“Over the next two years, I’m looking forward to sharing some of the innovative and incredible projects in the transportation and infrastructure world that my home state is leading on. I’m excited to be part of the solutions our nation needs to once again lead the world in transportation systems and an efficient and quality infrastructure.   

“Over the past two years, I have heard from hundreds of constituents—from home builders to contractors to supermarket chains—about the problems with our nation’s supply chain. 

“Simply put, businesses aren’t getting the materials they need to supply the demand from their customers. This is unacceptable. And so I am grateful for the leadership demonstrated by Chairman Graves to address this issue.”

Watch the full remarks here.

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