Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for yielding. Here we are again debating the most basic function of our democracy: funding our government. Yet, once again, here we are kicking the can a bit further down the road instead of passing a budget for a fiscal year that started 130 days ago. As chair of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I know that we need a full annual appropriations bill for military construction projects that are critical to our national security and to make the needed annual investments in veterans' healthcare and benefits. I have been in this Chamber many, many times when we came together for the good of the Nation, just like we recently did to pass the infrastructure bill that was bipartisan with at least some support from the other side of the aisle. We found common ground because infrastructure affects every corner of this great country. But the benefits of that landmark legislation cannot be fully realized until we enact the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills. Some States are even putting off projects until we appropriate funding from the full-year budget. The Federal Railroad Administration can't hire the staff it needs in order to implement the infrastructure bill. New programs to reduce carbon emissions and to protect roads and bridges against the effects of climate change will stall.…”