Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I heard my friend from Tennessee--and he is my friend--talk about how this will be cheaper, it would be cheaper to build things. The new Senator from Kentucky referred to that too. Sometimes cheapest is not always the least expensive. Sometimes cheapest can turn out to be the most expensive, depending upon the quality of the work, how long these projects are, and whether they are done on time. I have a friend in Iowa who happens to be one of the largest contractors in the Midwest, if not in the entire country. He has big earth-moving equipment. He is a huge contractor. He probably does work in Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, and everyplace else. He told me once: I will only hire union labor. I asked him why. He said: Because they have a great apprenticeship and training program. Plus, he said: I know I get well-trained workers on my construction jobs. He said: I don't mind Davis-Bacon because I get apprenticeship, I get training, plus I get workers I don't have to look over their shoulders all the time. I get quality work done. He said: I didn't get big by undercutting everybody. I got big because I did good work, and I got good quality. He is able to go head to head with nonunion contractors, and he has become the largest contractor because of the quality of his work. That is why I say to my friend, sometimes the cheapest is not always the best in terms of the interest of the taxpayers and of this country. I yield back the remainder of my time.…”