Political Quotes

“I would like to begin by thanking the chairmen and ranking members of the full committee and the subcommittee for their work on this bipartisan bill. I worked very hard to become a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee because I wanted very much to be part of a team that gets things done. {time} 1800 When I first joined the committee, many of my constituents back in Ventura County questioned whether the 114th Congress could get a surface transportation bill through the House. The progress that we have made so far on the bill is a testament to the good work that Congress can do when we work together in a bipartisan way, through the committee process, to get things done for the American people. I am also very appreciative of the Rules Committee for making my amendment in order this evening. Madam Chair, my amendment would fix a small problem with the new freight program and would allow small- and mid-sized communities an opportunity to compete for a slightly larger piece of the pie. I agree with many of my colleagues that we absolutely must address capacity issues along long-haul routes and freight corridors. We must address the costly and time-consuming bottlenecks within congested metropolitan areas. We must also address the first- and last-mile connections to our ports, freight yards, and other job centers in our communities.…”