James Oberstar: “Mr. Speaker, the budget is that one piece of legislation where we really set forth priorities for America. We decide…”

“Mr. Speaker, the budget is that one piece of legislation where we really set forth priorities for America. We decide what is important to us, what our values are, and in effect, we put a price tag on them. In the Shuster-Oberstar-Petri-Rahall substitute provided for in this rule later tonight, Members will have an opportunity to make a choice for the future of America. We will offer Members the opportunity on behalf of all Americans to make an investment in America's transportation needs in $1 trillion of our $6 trillion national economy, which is what transportation accounts for. What we will do in this substitute is equally cut across-the-board, one-third of 1 percent over 5 years reduction in domestic discretionary, defense discretionary spending, and the tax reduction will be one-third of 1 percent less than proposed, in order to put back into transportation the tax dollars we pay at the gas pump.”