Political Quotes

“I started last week in Dallas, Texas, working with people across the country, but especially from Texas, dealing with transportation needs and their requirements for balanced transportation by pedestrians, streetcar, and especially light rail. Dallas has the most extensive light-rail system in the country. I ended my week in New York City, in Brooklyn, where this vast sprawling economic engine, home to 20 million people in the metropolitan area, was dealing with their transportation needs. Virtually all of these people, whether from Brooklyn, Texas, or around the country, are in agreement with what they need going forward, an important part of which is a renewal and strengthening of the Federal transportation partnership. I was pleased to see that we are moving ahead with discussion of the basic framework produced by our friends on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I commend Mr. Shuster and Mr. DeFazio for producing a bill that is quite strong under these difficult circumstances. It does preserve the basic framework and continue to make improvements not just around the edges. There are potential breakthrough provisions in technology in transportation that could truly be transformational. It is disappointing, however, that the bill flatlines important bike and pedestrian funding, something that is vitally needed in Houston, Indianapolis, Seattle, here in our Nation's Capital, in suburban Maryland, and communities all across the country.…”