Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), and I appreciate his laser-like focus on this issue. We are hearing people in an alternative universe. The problems that we are facing financially are not an issue of mismanagement. It is the near collapse of the economy that plunged it into a downward spiral and the fact that the deregulation by the Congress in the trucking industry meant that there were many, many jobs that disappeared. Many plans were no longer sustainable. But I find it rich to hear my friends on the other side of the aisle talk about fiscal conservatism and protecting the taxpayer's money. These are the folks who passed a tax bill, without the benefit of a hearing, that added $2.3 trillion to the deficit. And they are ignoring the fact that, if we allow these plans to go over the edge, it will cost five, six, eight times as much money. Let's get real here. I appreciate the commitment that we have, Mr. Chairman, to a bipartisan solution. There are people on the other side of the aisle who want to work on that. This isn't the last word. We have things to do, but this is, however, the first step to get us there. {time} 1800”