Peter DeFazio

I think this is critical for our overall investment deficit.

I have my doubts--it would be necessary, I believe, for other forms of infrastructure.

I think some companies find that inconvenient.

But you do raise one issue I have a concern about, which is springing liens.

If the President really believes in the national infrastructure bank concept, he should tell the Secretary to fully fund TIFIA out of the TIGER III program.

OK. Well then I really don't want to hear from you on that.

I really advocate removing the springing lien requirement.

So, we are talking about a very unique moment in our history, when we have many billion-dollar-plus jobs that are ready to go if we can right-size TIFIA.

I am also against the President's proposed American infrastructure financing authority. This is not because of any objection to an infrastructure bank.

You know, for a number of years many have touted an infrastructure bank as the solution to our massive infrastructure deficit in this country. It isn't.

What I envision for the O&C Lands has never been done before; and, frankly, it's very different from what's being proposed in Title I.

Just my rough calculation is it would cost twice as much as the current payments, which means maybe we ought to just find the money in your budget.

I did support the President's initiative this week on the Buffett rule on taxes.

Chairman, we are going to have more than one round, right? Hopefully. OK. Because I have a lot of questions.

I have to say I am pretty disappointed that we are now at this point and you are willing to have a dialogue.

I do want to start out, because your agency often does not get thanked, I do want to thank you and your agency.

File it. They are clearly in violation of the WTO.

We could just say, OK, in the U.S. we will now take that off-gas, we will destroy it.

Have we contemplated they have not taken the least intrusive, least expensive means here?

I voted against it here in the House because I know how the system is gamed.

Nobody but suckers pays that rate, some poor little corporation based here in the U.S.

Exxon Mobile paid zero income taxes in the United States last year, the year before, the year before and the year before.

I would like to thank Congressman DeFazio for introducing this bill on this issue.

We can sit here and pretend that if we let out some more leases that somehow this is going to help.

The Bush Administration, the Clinton Administration, and now the Obama Administration, the Special Trade Representative will not take on OPEC.