Political Quotes

“I also would like to thank Chairman Murray and Chairman Mikulski for your explanation. I am deeply alarmed by attempts in the other body of Congress to prohibit the Department of Transportation and the Surface Transportation Board from completing their permitting and oversight responsibly. These attempts violate the spirit of federalism. The California high- speed rail project was approved by California's voters on the ballot, the legislature has enacted enabling legislation, and the Governor supports it. While some may not like this type of transportation investment, it is the choice that my State has made for their future, and the Federal Government should respect those decisions. Furthermore, I strongly believe the Federal permitting process should not be used as a tool to obstruct and delay major infrastructure investments of our States. Permitting infrastructure in California is a notoriously thorough, long, and comprehensive process. In the years California has analyzed this one project, China has built thousands of miles of high-speed rail. But this year, in an attempt to stymie the project, opponents of California's plan forced the Surface Transportation Board--an agency dedicated to protecting fair competition in freight rail--to assert Federal jurisdiction over California's high-speed rail project. This new layer of Federal permitting is duplicative of the thorough 5-year-long review performed by the Federal Railroad Administration.…”