Political Quotes

“much has been written recently about Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, scholar, politician, diplomat, public servant. We have been reminded again, in the wake of his passing, of his intellectual and political contributions dealing with the most sensitive and complex questions of our society. Ideas that were controversial when he first advanced them are now accepted as conventional wisdom. I rise today to salute this giant and his greatest gift, which is to influence how America faces its challenges. He was regarded appropriately as a tremendous architectural influence. No one over the last third of a century has done more to shape American communities. His influence can be seen from the steps of the Capitol with the creation of the Pennsylvania Avenue Redevelopment Corporation. He worked to restore once magnificent James Farley Post Office in New York back to life as a new Penn Station. He was the intellectual force behind the revolutionary 1991 ISTEA legislation, allowing communities to use transportation resources to shape their development rather than transportation choices shaping our communities. His legacy gave more power to citizens at all levels and made the money go farther to do more and better things. As we begin the reauthorization this Congress of his landmark ISTEA legislation, we deal with many opportunities to revitalize America's communities through wise infrastructure investment, a critical and underappreciated part of the Moynihan legacy.”