Political Quotes

“I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Unfortunately, today I rise in opposition to S. 612. At one point, I wholeheartedly supported this bill. There should be nothing partisan about infrastructure. Building and rebuilding infrastructure for transportation of goods and people, for shipping, for rail, for other aspects, and clean water--all that should be nonpartisan. It is in the best interests of the United States of America to make us more competitive and more efficient. This bill reflected the best of that tradition when it came out of the committee. Unfortunately, a number of things have happened since. First, when we came to the floor, the leadership stripped out a provision which was adopted unanimously in committee to make the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund into a trust fund--spending the tax that is collected for harbor maintenance on--shocking in Washington, D.C.--harbor maintenance. Right now, the Budget Committee diverts that money every year somewhere else--imaginary deficit reduction or some other program--and we underspend, through the appropriations process, that money. So the Americans are paying a tax. Every good you buy that is imported you pay a little bit more for it. You are paying that tax, and Congress is diverting the money while our harbors shoal in and our jetties crumble, and we can't compete in the world market.…”