T Transportation Infrastructure First is interpretation: Surface Transportation Infrastructure consist of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 1/31 The American

n Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7) is an initiative to create long-term American jobs by linking improvements to the nations transportation infrastructure with increased production of domestic energy. This key component of House Republicans efforts to put Americans back to work is a long-term reauthorization of federal highway, transit and highway safety programs that will streamline and
consolidate federal transportation programs, cut red tape and government bureaucracy, increase funding flexibility for states and local governments, better leverage existing infrastructure resources, and encourage more private sector participation in building infrastructure. This comprehensive infrastructure proposal also

makes significant reforms to federal passenger and freight rail transportation, hazardous materials transportation, and waterborne transportation programs. Interpretation including aviation Transportation and Infrastructure Committee n.d.
Ever since the first Congress authorized a lighthouse on Cape Henry, Virginia as an aid to ships sailing through Hampton Roads, the

Congress of the United States has been involved in providing for the nations transportation infrastructure. In the more than two hundred years since the Cape Henry Lighthouse first shown out across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, the Committees of the House of Representatives responsible for public works and infrastructure have changed names and grown in scope. What was once the Rivers and Harbors Committee is now the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. However, the mission remains essentially the same: provide a strong backbone upon
which the nations people and commerce can flourish.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee currently has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation: aviation, maritime and waterborne transportation, roads, bridges, mass transit, and railroads. But the
Committee has jurisdiction over other aspects of our national infrastructure, such as clean water and waste water management, the transport of resources by pipeline, flood damage reduction, the economic development of depressed rural and urban areas, disaster preparedness and response, activities of the Army Corps of Engineers and the various missions of the Coast Guard.

The affirmative violates this by increasing non-transportation infrastructure investment in the form of A. Communications infrastructure B. Energy Infrastructure C. Water management Infrastructure D. Solid waste management Prefer our interpretation because: It offers predictable limits: because the physical structure and areas of infrastructure are clearly set out and defined in the definition. It preserves and prioritizes core ground for the affirmative from the perspective of the government actor. Now lets talk voters. First of all, since T is a stock issue, we are all aware that not only is T most definitely a voter, it is also a priori.

All that being said, you cant vote affirmative on a plan that doesnt affirm the resolution. As the adjudicator of the round for the 2012-2013 resolution, you dont have the jurisdiction to decide the merits of a plan that doesnt affirm our proposed resolution. Secondly, it is unfair to force us to debate the merits of a plan that doesnt affirm the resolution when we must negate it.

2NC Overview The affirmative team does not affirm the resolution insofar as they dont increase transportation infrastructure investment. Instead they increase A. Communications infrastructure B. Energy Infrastructure C. Water management Infrastructure D. Solid waste management E. Earth monitoring and measurement networks investment. In doing so they attempt to muddle the predictable limits and core ground that make our interpretation the best in the round and so you err negative because its now out of your jurisdiction to vote for them and its unfair to force us to debate them. Now onto the line by line

A2: We meet Communications Infrastructure They dont meet. Communications Infrastructure is defined by Center of Catastrophe Preparedness and Response and the Wagner School of Public Service at NYU in 2005
as

However, modern telecommunications infrastructure has also provided powerful and flexible tools to enable cities to cope with crisis, and quickly relocate and restore displaced or disrupted social and economic activities. The Internet, mobile telephony, and satellite communications [that] provide unprecedented communications capabilities to a wide range of institutions and communities in disaster areas. The definition is clear and inclusive to their form of investment. Furthermore it is exclusive to our interpretation. More evidence (In case the debate drags on or you want to be extra sure) Gillwald, Alison for the International Encyclopedia of Communication in 2008 Communication infrastructure refers to the backbone of the communications system upon which various broadcasting and telecommunication services are operated. This can be built from copper cable, fiber, or wireless technologies utilizing the radio frequency spectrum, such as microwave and satellite. The infrastructure is the core component that connects upstream production, such as voice, data and audiovisual services, with downstream consumers.

A2: We Meet- Energy Infrastructure They dont meet. Energy Infrastructure is defined by DOEs National Energy Technology Laboratory as Our energy infrastructure is comprised of many components, such as the physical network of pipes for oil and natural gas, electricity transmission lines and other means for transporting energy to consumers. This infrastructure also includes facilities that turn raw natural resources into useful energy products. The rail network, truck lines, and marine transportation are also key components of Americas
energy infrastructure.

More evidence (In case the debate drags on or you want to be extra sure) European Commission "Guidelines for transEuropean energy infrastructure". It aims at ensuring that strategic energy networks and storage facilities are completed by 2020. To this end, the EC has identified 12 priority corridors and areas covering electricity, gas, oil and carbon dioxide transport networks.
On 19 October 2011, the European Commission (EC) adopted the proposal for a Regulation on

A2: We meet- Water management Infrastructure They dont meet. Water Management Infrastructure is defined by EPA no date as As a nation, we have invested billions of dollars over the years to build an extensive network of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure to provide the public with safe and clean water. While some of that infrastructure is now 100 years old or older, much of our network of water treatment plants, distribution lines, sewer lines and storage facilities was built after World War II. More evidence (In case the debate drags on or you want to be extra sure) Philadelphia Water Department 2012 PWD has approximately 3,000 miles of sewers, 79,000 stormwater inlets, three drinking water treatment plants, three wastewater treatment plants, more than 25 pump stations, 175 CSO regulating chambers, 164 CSO outfalls, more than 3,000 miles of water mains, 18 reservoirs, five water storage tanks, and more than 450 stormwater outfalls.

A2: We meet Solid Waste Management Infrastructure They dont meet. Solid Waste Management Infrastructure is defined by The Playbook for Green Buildings & Neighborhoods Glossary n.d. as (web resource providing strategies, tips, and tools that can be used to take action on climate change) Solid Waste Infrastructure The set of systems and facilities that are used to manage solid waste (garbage and recyclable materials); this includes storage, collection, transport, recycling, and disposal systems and facilities.

A2: Competing Interpretations 1. [Disprove their merit] 2. Debate them on Standards. Extend the standards here thats proof that they dont do it as well. Here are some more standards in case they present counter standards:

A2: T is not a voter Cross apply our Pre-empt from the 1NC. T is a priori because its a stock issue and a fundamental part of the affirmative position. We simply cant begin further debate on the plan until all the stock issues are addressed. Analogies: Cereal Bowl

A2: Reverse Voting Issue The RVI is not a voting issue because its predicated off of the abuse story they create regarding our running the T. They presume that were going to kick out of the T last minute, so they try to pre-empt it with this argument. Its based only on a hunch and theres no valid reason to unless we dont go for T in the 2NR. Furthermore, if theyre losing T, you evaluate that first before you evaluate their abuse claims. So they would lose on that first. A2- Reasonability Theyre unreasonable.