The Answer is... A
I'm glad to help :)
The first one is A. the tension in the room
and the second one is C. the characterization suggests Anne's optimism
This is a persuasion. Where he says "To attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods, and information—from high-speed rail to high-speed Internet." he is stating the problem. Also where he says "I'm proposing that we redouble those efforts." he is prompting a solution to the problem. Overall he is stating the problem , giving the process and asking for you to help with the solution.
