Ed Rendell

You all know the impact of infrastructure spending. DOT and other experts estimate that for every billion dollars of infrastructure spending, 25,000 well-paying jobs are created.

I think one of the most important things this committee can do is start looking at some form of vehicle miles traveled tax.

The public never heard about those. And the whole earmark process poisoned the well for transportation funding.

It is not just that the Federal Government is not participating in helping us to progress, it is that the Federal Government is actually an anchor around our necks.

And just think if we did $50 billion like the President recommended, that is 1 million, over 1 million well-paying jobs that can't be outsourced.

the long-run answer to all of our problems in my judgment is there should be a Federal capital budget.

We don't need an infrastructure bank to decide whether Kansas is going to build an addition to Route 64.

It is that the Federal Government is actually an anchor around our necks, and that even when there are no Federal dollars involved they are a burden.

We can't be an exceptional country without a first-class infrastructure. And let the record show we don't have one anymore.

there is no incentive for people to work hard, so many do not. There is no incentive for people to save money, so much of it is squandered.

The time to act is now.

If we want to, we can do it.