Political Quotes

“Mr. President, beyond the debt limit extension, which has rightly consumed the attention of this body, we face another challenge--the funding for our roads, airports, and railroads. Our best estimate is that current needs would total $225 billion annually, but revenue from the main source of funding for these programs, the gasoline tax, only totaled $90 billion. The law requires balance in the transportation trust fund. So how would we respond? There are basically three major options. Option 1: Let funding fall. This would be a catastrophe, especially for the construction industry, where already in Illinois upwards of 30 percent of construction workers are without work. Option 2: Increase the gas tax. But that is one of the most regressive taxes that hits the working poor harder than almost any other citizen in our country. The slowdown in our economy as a result of a gas tax increase would probably cause unemployment to go up and could jeopardize our extremely fragile recovery. There is a third option, but before I describe that, let me ask a question. Arguably, what is the third biggest thing that the Lincoln administration was known for? First would be the emancipation proclamation. Second would be the victory in the Civil War. What is No. 3?…”