Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I do not oppose the rule, the transportation appropriations conference report for fiscal year 2000, but the conference report itself should be the subject of vigorous debate today as members of the authorizing committee and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure express their serious concerns about provisions added to the conference report by the other body. There are also issues which will be discussed on the floor today relating to unfunded mandates and numerous legislative provisions which appear in the conference report. Mr. Speaker, there is no question but that the transportation system of this Nation helps us to maintain our competitive edge worldwide. There is no question but that the very same system must be maintained, repaired, and upgraded constantly for that competitive edge to remain. This is a goal shared by both the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Subcommittee on Transportation of the Committee on Appropriations. This debate might be described as a difference not of where we are going, but how we get there.”