Political Quotes

“The Conference Agreement on H.R. 4348, Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012 unfairly places the financial burden on the smaller territories--American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Island (USVI). Specifically, the agreement would result in a 20- percent reduction for each of the smaller territories under the Territorial and Puerto Rico highway program (Div A, Title 1, Subtitle A, Section 1114) for FY 2013 and FY 2014. The territorial highway program underscores federal commitments to sustain economic development in the territories as well as to ensure safe highways in our communities. Funding from the territorial highway program has provided for the construction and improvement of highways and roads, critical infrastructure for commerce and transportation in the territories. Mr. Speaker, any cuts to these critical funding could prove devastating to the economies of the smaller territories, yet we face the same challenges--the high cost of energy and transportation--as everyone else across the country. Similarly, the initial version of the Highway Reauthorization bill that the House passed earlier this year would have replaced the Highway Trust Fund as the funding source for the Territorial Highway Program, with a less stable source. For these reasons, the territorial delegates wrote a joint letter to the Conference Committee on April 26.…”