Political Quotes

“The American Society of Civil Engineers report card is out for the quality of America's infrastructure, and the results are a national disgrace and an embarrassment. America gets a D grade for the quality of its infrastructure. According to the World Economic Forum, we're 24th in infrastructure quality. In 2001, we were No. 2, and we also had a budgetary surplus. There are 69,000 structurally-deficient bridges in this Nation. Every second of every day, seven cars drive on a bridge that is structurally deficient; but the Republican budget plan that will be voted on this week cuts infrastructure spending by 32 percent per capita over the next 10 years. The United States Chamber of Commerce that represents the so-called job creators estimates that we will lose $336 billion in economic growth over the next 5 years. China spends 9 percent of its economy on infrastructure; Europe, 5 percent; the United States less than 3 percent. Moreover, you just spent $89 billion rebuilding the roads and bridges of Afghanistan, and $69 billion rebuilding the roads and bridges of Iraq, and you propose to cut infrastructure spending per capita by 32 percent. This is a national disgrace and embarrassment. ____________________”