Political Quotes

“I commend the chairwoman and vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senators Mikulski and Shelby, on crafting a strong bill to close out the remaining 6 months of the fiscal year. This bill was developed under difficult circumstances and time constraints, and I really feel they have done a good job of returning some semblance of regular order to this process. I am hopeful this progress will continue in the coming fiscal year. One of my disappointments with this legislation, however, is that we are not able to fund any new Army Corps of Engineers projects. The lack of new starts in the Corps is of particular concern to my State, as it impedes progress on the flood control project in Hamilton City, CA. It is a project that could potentially serve as a model for Corp projects throughout the Nation. More importantly, the construction of a new levee is critical for the protection of Hamilton City and Glenn County from catastrophic flooding. The project has been ready for construction for several years now but has been entangled in the new starts prohibition. It is my hope and intention that for fiscal year 2014 we will have regular order in appropriations, and I will work to support this project moving forward.”