Political Quotes

“since the founding of this Republic, the Federal Government has been integrally involved with developing an infrastructure system: railroads, freeways, airports, ports, and inland waterways. And it has provided us a national system that has made this country great. But today, it is fraying at the edges. This proposal, the turn-back proposal, I think is appropriately named, because just when we are on the verge of getting it right under the ISTEA formula, we would be turning back to States that have varied, highly restricted constitutional provisions on how they can spend the money. They would be turning their back on many of the environmental priorities, transit priorities, and the strong national system that we have for bicycles. We would be turning our back on many of these areas. Onerous Federal regulations that the gentleman from Ohio refers to strikes me as somewhat humorous. I am not running for President, but I have been in 30 American communities over the last year talking about ISTEA and transportation. I tell my colleagues to a certainty, in community after community, it was the ISTEA structure that enabled for the first time cities and regions to have a voice that were ignored by State transportation commissions in State after State. This is not a vote for the future. It is a turning our back on the partnerships that can make America great.”