Political Quotes

“despite the record transportation funding that Congress provided in the 2005 Transportation Reauthorization bill--SAFETEA-LU--our Nation's infrastructure is being stressed to the breaking point. Our ports and rail lines are at or near capacity. Our highways are clogged. Congress is working with President-Elect Obama on an economic stimulus package that will probably include funding for ``shovel-ready'' transportation projects. But even that won't come close to rehabilitating our Nation's transportation infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers has noted that over the next 5 years $1.6 trillion in investment is needed from all levels of government to keep our Nation's current transportation system up to date. To put that into perspective, our Nation's infrastructure needs roughly i times as much funding as was included in SAFETEA-LU. The question is ``Where do we find the transportation funding that our country needs to meet our transportation and our economic needs?'' Senator Thune's and my answer is to invest in America. Everyone agrees that our country's infrastructure needs are tremendous. Everyone agrees that our country needs to invest more in transportation. What Congress hasn't been able to agree on is where to find the money. Gas taxes just don't generate enough revenues to even begin to satisfy highway and transit needs.”