Let me just say, I misspoke earlier; I left off three zeros. This amendment would save $1.2 billion, not $1.2 million. It's easy to mess that up these days, given all the zeros we're talking about. The U.S. Department of Transportation…

I don't think we want to talk about bull. I don't know how it is in Wisconsin, but in Arizona, to have a bill that has more than 400 earmarks worth more than $300 million is not an insignificant sum. Now, you can have a chart that takes…

I thank the Chair. This amendment would prohibit $150,000 from being spent on the construction of a child's playground. Now I am the father of five children. I understand the importance of having a place for kids to play. Believe me, kids…

Again, you have got to have a Federal nexus somewhere. If you are spending taxpayers' money, it helps to say why in the world should the Federal Government be involved at all. I would submit that if you argue that the Federal Government…

I plan to withdraw this amendment. I had planned to from the beginning. What I wanted to do was come down here and explain the spoils system that this kind of earmarking represents. The problem, the gentleman mentioned that this amendment…

This amendment is straightforward. It would simply prevent the funding of all Member-requested earmarks in the bill. It would return the funds to the original accounts. I'm not here to dispute the merits of these projects. I have no doubt…

I mean, it's just nutty for us to spend so much time on these things and then say, I'm sorry, we don't have time for Members to offer amendments on appropriation bills to actually strike spending so that we're not borrowing 43 cents on…

I thank the gentlelady for yielding, and I thank the gentlelady for sponsoring this legislation. I rise in support of it. As was mentioned, I am a cosponsor. This would rescind contract authority for old transportation earmarks. I think we…

You know, this is a different kind of July than we usually experience here in Congress. Usually we're doing appropriation bills. We aren't doing them this month. We aren't likely to do any until after the election. Isn't that something…

Just days ago the State of Arizona lost a kind and gentle soul when Mitch Menlove passed away at the tender age of 36. Mitch leaves behind a record of honor and integrity among those he worked with in a successful career in public affairs…

I thank the gentlelady for accepting the amendment. Some have asked, Why do this if there's no intention to earmark the program? Why do we need this language? Unfortunately, in the past, with programs that have been adopted like this…

This is a straightforward amendment and should be noncontroversial. H.R. 5114 establishes a new grant program that would provide grants to local government agencies responsible for flood plain management in communities that participate in…