John Mica: “I have to oppose the rule, and reluctantly I'm going to oppose the bill. Many people, because I'm the Republican leader…”

“I have to oppose the rule, and reluctantly I'm going to oppose the bill. Many people, because I'm the Republican leader of the Transportation Committee, have asked me how I'm going to vote on the final bill and final passage, and it's a reluctant 'no.' And let me tell you why. The substance of my opposition really lies in what the Rules Committee did. If we ever needed a time to amend, we should have had an opportunity to amend this. And we have time to send it back to the Senate. When the Senate passed the transportation provision, four States take 58 percent of the new money in this in transportation projects of national significance. Those States, I believe, are California, Illinois, the State of Washington and Louisiana.”