Ted Budd: “I thank my colleague from Arkansas for yielding. Madam Speaker, my amendment would re-implement a Federal Transit…”

“I thank my colleague from Arkansas for yielding. Madam Speaker, my amendment would re-implement a Federal Transit Administration policy that ensured that Federal loans were not counted towards State contributions for capital investment projects. This is particularly important as the FTA considers the Gateway project between New York and New Jersey. Secretary Buttigieg recently made a verbal commitment to approve this project, but he has yet to provide any details on the Federal share. If it mirrors the Obama administration's plans, Federal taxpayers would be footing half of the bill for this project while New York and New Jersey would cover the rest. But the States are planning to cover most of their local share with billions in Federal loans. In essence, New York and New Jersey are demanding that taxpayers in my State of North Carolina pay for their project. My amendment makes sure that drivers in North Carolina are not overly subsidizing potentially wasteful transit projects in New York, L.A., San Francisco, or Chicago.”