On the recordJuly 29, 2010
I rise in support of the DeFazio amendment for two reasons: First, with the stresses on the Highway Trust Fund and the dependence of our States on the moneys from that fund, we're violating our fiduciary responsibilities by granting authority to take $200 million, much-needed dollars, out of the trust fund for a program that has yet to be defined legislatively or otherwise. Second, as noted in the minority views of the report accompanying this bill, the concept of livable communities is just that. It's a concept. I've never seen the definition of a livable community. There's nothing defined of what a 'livable community' is. The initiatives that would be funded under this concept with the $200 million involve activities that are rightly part of the jurisdictions of State and local governments and metropolitan planning commissions. And again, I would rise in strong support of this amendment.
