Under President Obama’s leadership, we have turned our economy around and created 14 million jobs. Our unemployment rate is below five percent for the first time in almost eight years. Nearly 18 million people have gained health coverage as the Affordable Care Act has taken effect. And we have dramatically cut our deficits by almost three-quarters and set our Nation on a more sustainable fiscal path.

Yet while it is important to take stock of our progress, the budget proposal the White House released today is not about looking back at the road we have traveled. It's about looking forward and making sure our economy works for everybody. It's about choosing investments that not only make us stronger today, but also reflect the kind of country we aspire to be – the kind of country we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren.

The $98.1 billion the President is requesting for DOT in Fiscal Year 2017 reflects an ambitious 30-year vision for this Department to take the United States Beyond Traffic and toward a transportation network that matches the changing geography of where people live and work; fosters innovation and takes advantage of evolving technology; and provides access to opportunity without regard to zip code or any other demographic.

The FY 2017 Budget Request proposes a long-term transformation that decouples transportation from fossil fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The Administration has taken many important steps to cut our carbon footprint and mitigate the impacts of climate change, like raising fuel economy standards, making our transportation networks more resilient to extreme climate events, and taking a more comprehensive, lifecycle view in managing infrastructure assets. But more needs to be done. Good solutions will lead to benefits such as cleaner, more sustainable transportation alternatives. This Budget charts a series of steps to get us closer to that vision.

Of course, across DOT, safety is our highest priority, and this Budget reflects that. It invests in the safe integration of emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which have the potential to revolutionize our transportation systems, save lives, and reduce carbon emissions. It also supports rigorous regulatory development and enforcement across our safety agencies.

Finally, this Budget helps the Department implement the FAST Act through important steps towards a modernized approach to transportation funding that recognizes the importance of a regionally-focused approach. It prioritizes spending on projects that will yield the greatest benefits for the American people.

But you should not take my word for it; I urge you to look at our Budget Highlights to see for yourself how the President's Budget supports programs like 21st Century clean transportation, 21st Century communities, and more to help us meet the challenges of the future.