On the recordMay 21, 2015
Mr. President, I have come to the floor to discuss the need to strengthen the transportation system of our country, our roads, our highways, our bridges--our transportation system. A long time ago, the question was asked: What is the role of government? If you ask 500 people, you probably will not get 100 different answers, but you will get a lot of different answers. Abraham Lincoln was once asked: What is the role of government? This is what he said: The role of the government is to do for the people what they cannot do for themselves. Let me say that again. The role of government is to do for the people what they cannot do for themselves. Sometimes I go to schools and young students ask me: What do you do? The kids in elementary schools, third, fourth, fifth graders say: What do you do? I tell them I am a United States Senator. They say: What do you do? I tell them I help make the rules for our country. We call them laws. I do that with 99 other Senators, 435 Representatives, the President, and the Vice President. They say: Well, what else do you do? I tell them I help people. I help people. The best way to help somebody is to make sure they have a job--to make sure they have a job. I had the privilege of being Governor of Delaware for 8 years. I am told that in those 8 years, more jobs were created in Delaware than any 8 years in Delaware history. I did not create one of them. We have seen in the last 6-plus years in this country some 12 million jobs created.…





