Political Quotes

“Mr. President, America's infrastructure was once the envy of the world. But for decades, we haven't maintained these public works. The quality of U.S. infrastructure now ranks just 16th in the world, according to the World Economic Forum. The dismal state of our outdated roads, bridges, and railways is costing Ohioans valuable time, money, and energy. To create jobs and keep America on top of the global economy, Congress must pass a long-term bill that invests in a world-class infrastructure. The bill that the Senate will soon consider does not contain the robust investment that the President and most experts think we need, but it does make progress over the next 5 years. In Ohio, a quarter of our bridges are ``structurally deficient'' or ``functionally obsolete.'' Forty-five percent of our State's major urban highways are congested, costing our drivers $3.6 billion a year in additional repairs and operating costs. During the negotiations on this legislation, I fought to include provisions important to Ohio, and we have made progress on my State's top priorities. The bill would create a new competitive grant program to fund job- creating projects of regional and national significance, like the replacement of the Brent Spence Bridge between Cincinnati and Kentucky. Each year, 4 percent of America's GDP crosses the Brent Spence, which was built more than half a century ago.…”