Political Quotes

“The bill that the Appropriations Committee reported makes tangible progress toward responsible deficit reduction. However, I am concerned by one of the rescissions proposed by the committee for the Federal Highway Administration, the Monroe rail consolidation project. The Monroe rail consolidation project has been included on the committee's proposed rescission list. Yet, this project is ready for construction and is important for Southeast Michigan. The criterion that the committee appears to have used in determining if a project's funding should be rescinded is whether or not a project still has unobligated balance from before fiscal year 1991. These balances, in and of themselves, provide no indication of the merit of a project. The Monroe rail consolidation project is ready for construction and is important for Southeast Michigan. The project is necessary for economic and safety reasons. It will eliminate 25 public and private crossings, substantially reducing preventable vehicle/train accidents. Design and engineering is done. Work has been delayed only because the overall costs were underestimated.”