Political Quotes

“This piece of legislation is, sadly, a product of our time with a breakdown with our friends on the other side of the Capitol seemingly unable to proceed with regular order. We saw, sadly, this last week one person bring the transportation funding in this country to a halt, hold up unemployment benefits affecting literally hundreds of thousands of Americans in the most negative way, and that is passing for regular order over there. This bill is an opportunity for us to break that impasse. It is significant in three ways: first of all, there were five Republicans who were willing to join with the majority to be able to move things forward. In some sense I think we ought to try and reward that sense of at least breaking the tyranny of the 60-vote majority requirement. Second, the real job generator in this legislation is to be found in extending the transportation funding through the end of the year. Madam Speaker, the most effective job-generating legislation that we could put forward at a time of 40 percent unemployment in many metropolitan areas in the construction trade is to put Americans to work rebuilding and renewing America. This legislation provides $77 billion towards that objective, fully funding the first 6 months of this year and extending it through the full 15-month cycle through the end of this calendar year.”