Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to encourage my colleagues to support today's jobs bill, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, because it is not an earmark. It authorizes--not appropriates--money for 23 projects identified by the Corps of Engineers as important. They are important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their primary purpose is the movement of goods and services into the global marketplace, which creates wealth and jobs for Americans. Further, it authorizes projects that are important to flood protection in flood-prone areas like the Red River Valley of the North, in my area. In addition to that, the real reforms that are impressive are things like it de-authorizes old projects to the tune of $12 billion worth. Furthermore, it gives more leverage and flexibility for the use of non-Federal funds, which is, I think, the very thing that the taxpayers of this State are looking for--the type of flexibility that allows local governments and local communities to do the right thing for themselves. ____________________”