Bill Pascrell: “there is one overriding fact in here that I would like to stress, if I may, to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.…”

“there is one overriding fact in here that I would like to stress, if I may, to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member, who have done such a marvelous job. This bill, this legislation would spend $18 billion less than the Federal Government will collect in highway user taxes, not including the interest, over the next 3 years. Over the next 6-year life of the legislation we are about to vote on, it will spend $12 billion less than highway tax receipts. The facts are clear, Mr. Chairman, that there is within our domain the facility to pay for what we are voting on here today. New Jersey is a perfect example of a State that will be helped. It ranks fiftieth of all the States in the Union in terms of return on our tax dollar, the very basis of Federalism upon which the Constitution was written. This legislation is going to help us correct the major deficiencies we have in 44 percent of our bridges. Who will we turn to when another bridge is shut down in New Jersey? In just a short 6 years, there have been 230,000 new jobs in New Jersey as a result of the original transportation legislation, which my predecessor, Bob Roe, of good memory, was able to bring to this floor many, many times. We need a little history here once in a while to keep us on track. So, Mr. Chairman, we thank you for allowing us the time here today. This is critical legislation.”