On the recordApril 25, 2012
I thank the gentleman from Florida. I rise in opposition to the motion to instruct. The House has developed some of the strongest policy reforms in decades. I, for one, am not ready to give them up. I thank Chairman Mica in particular for his leadership to streamline project delivery. It shouldn't take 15 years to finish a project. Our bill streamlines the permitting process so that they can be done concurrently, instead of consecutively. This is good policy and something worth fighting for. We can cut this time in half--and we should. I also worked on two other provisions that simply aren't addressed in the Senate bill: One addressed the use of engineering services. Specifically, it calls for States to utilize private sector engineering firms to the maximum extent possibility. State DOTs should streamline their operations and reduce overhead so more money is going to put shovels in the ground, not to bureaucracy. The second provision would create regional planning organizations to give small communities a seat at the table, which is something they don't have now. The rural areas I represent face stiff competition for limited Federal dollars, and they deserve their fair share. But this reform, too, is absent from the Senate bill. Let's work with the Senate to get these and other good ideas from both sides included in a final bill. Madam Speaker, we should embrace this process to make a positive impact on the Senate bill. I urge my colleagues to oppose the motion to instruct.
