Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I will try to only use 6 of those 7 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill contains--tons of money just won't matter if we fail to support programs for roads and bridges. The huge funding levels aren't what they appear to be because the bill spreads the dollars thin over 41 new programs; adds many new burdensome mandates to programs that States rely on; doesn't include meaningful regulatory reforms so dollars are used more effectively. Instead of getting money to States quickly so they can use it how they need, the majority adds new restrictions, like prohibiting new highway capacity that would hamper States' ability to build the projects that their communities need. {time} 2030 Really, this is the wrong time for this big, drastic change. This bill wants to force Americans off the roads and into transit and passenger rail. But the central planning push couldn't come at a worse time because of the pandemic-related uncertainty and ongoing changes in transportation, work, and living patterns that will last for years to come. Even before the pandemic, 85 percent of Americans traveled to work in a car, truck, or van, and only 5 percent used public transportation. But the majority chose to bankrupt the programs the overwhelming majority of Americans rely on. As employers are becoming more flexible with teleworking, the majority believes we should be less flexible with our State and local partners.…”