On the recordJuly 29, 2010
I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy, and I commend the subcommittee on its work to refine the administration's proposal, reduce it a billion dollars, but nonetheless deal with the challenges that face the American people. And Mr. Olver is right, as is my friend from New York, in talking about how we're losing an infrastructure challenge globally, which is apparent to anybody who travels overseas. This is an important piece of legislation that struggles to help make the Federal Government a better partner in rebuilding and renewing America. I have great respect for my good friend from Iowa, but I must respectfully disagree. The programs dealing with livability are, in fact, refined and tested. That's why there was such an outpouring of support for things like the TIGER grants. They are popular, and they are already making a difference, as we see, around the country. As for high-speed rail . . . give me a break. Yes, the administration did move forward with $8 billion for high-speed rail, which takes a little time to work through the process, but China is going to spend more in the next couple of months than we will in the next 3 years, illustrating how we are losing that effort.
