On the recordJuly 14, 2011
I have a written prepared statement I will include for the Record. It talks about California and the need for investments, and I don't think anybody is going to argue with the need for this country to invest in its country or its infrastructure. We have had that argument. I'm trying to figure out a way how to make my comments without making anybody wrong. The chairman is faced with a difficult task of trying to balance a budget. He faces that challenge with limited funds. It is a terrible job. But I think we ought to look at the process and be thoughtful and explain to the people out there who are watching us, the young people here who are watching us, that we can be smart. We can be compassionate, and we can do that without allowing ourselves to be fighting among ourselves and trying to make decisions between jobs, the economy, infrastructure, and taking care of those who need to get back on their feet. I have no arguments with that. My mother used to say when unexpected guests came to our house during dinnertime, you don't turn them away, you just add more water to the soup, and then you enjoy each other's company. Congress is a living organism responsible for its past, its present, and its future. In the past, according to the GAO, we spent about $150 billion just on Katrina. In Afghanistan, we spend $325 million a day. And in Iraq, we spend about $100 million a day. That's almost a $1 billion a day. We are talking almost a billion dollars in light rail.…
