Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of our committee, and I rise in support of the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act. As a former mayor, I am pleased that this bill contains a number of infrastructure tools to lower the costs for State and local development. Let me put to rest the argument here that there was no cooperation on this bill. Mr. Ryan, a prominent Republican on the committee, and I supported legislation that would exempt private activity bonds from AMT. And it's working. The U.S. Department of Transportation cited this provision as saving $635 million for construction projects at 38 airports around the country, including Cleveland, Milwaukee and Houston, among others. We don't check those airports to find out if they have a Republican Congressman or a Democratic Congressman. We think they are worthwhile undertakings. These construction projects have created thousands of jobs nationwide at a time that our economy really needs them. In my office, if you want to secure the information, we would be happy to provide you with the information about airport expansion which in many communities is a public and private partnership, but they have taken advantage of this initiative. These bonds are also used for student loans, and protection from AMT means lower rates on borrowers. In Massachusetts alone, 26,000 students will benefit. The bill we are debating today also includes a provision offered by, yes, my friend Mr. Tiberi and I.…”