Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, there is a lot to unpack in that statement right there. Let me start with section 1201 of H.R. 3684, which basically requires States to prioritize the state of good repair for their roads over constructing new capacity. Well, it is almost impossible to achieve a state of good repair when new capacity is necessary to achieve that state of good repair. You are telling States they can't do that, exercising more Federal control over the States. It would greatly limit the State's jurisdiction over their own roads. Each State has unique transportation systems with needs that vary greatly, and their decisions to expand highway capacity should be made by them and not in a vacuum, certainly not here in Washington, D.C. DOTs must consider everything, from balancing loan service to asset management. Section 1201 is an attempt by the Federal Government to identify the needs of States for them and direct their policies rather than promoting State flexibility. This section would limit the scope of good-paying construction projects and jobs for our constituents. It disproportionately affects rural and suburban communities, mind you, where new capacity is often needed far more than repairs. As I mentioned before, Washington cannot and should not try to dictate every need of the road systems State by State when the individuals who understand those roads are the best ones to make that decision.…”