Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I thank the chairwoman for those kind and generous words. And I do rise in strong support of this critical legislation. As chairman of the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, or T-HUD as we call it, I first thank my partner and ranking member, Mario Diaz- Balart, for his cooperative and collaborative relationship this year and for many years prior, including when our roles were reversed. Madam Chair, the bipartisan work we do in assembling our subcommittee bills reflects an earlier era when the Appropriations Committee presented a united front throughout the process. That era, regrettably, has passed, but the cooperative work remains at the subcommittee level. What we have done has made this a better bill, and hopefully will help us achieve agreement eventually and finalize T-HUD and other bills. Division A of the bill, the T-HUD section, represents our continued commitment to upgrading our aging transportation infrastructure, addressing our Nation's affordable housing and homelessness crises, bolstering our resiliency in the face of climate change and natural disasters, remedying inequities and disparities in our housing and transportation systems, and prioritizing safety--whether that is eliminating hazards in public housing or improving the certification of aircraft. Overall, the bill includes $90.9 billion in discretionary funding; that is an increase of $9.85 billion over the current year.…”