Political Quotes

“Today we bring to the floor of the House historic legislation, legislation to rebuild America so that we have a 21st Century transportation system. In the 21st Century, from Seattle to Miami, from New York to California, America is growing and prospering, but our infrastructure is crumbling. There are two fundamental principles in the bill we bring to the floor today. The first is to put the trust back in the Transportation Trust Funds. It is to restore honesty in budgeting. Every time an American drives up to the gas pump and pays his or her 18.4-cent gas tax for every gallon of tax, that money goes into the Highway Trust Fund and Americans have the right to believe that the money in the trust fund is going to be spent to improve transportation. In fact, that is the way it was, until in the mid-1960's President Johnson got the idea that by not spending the money, he could help fund the Vietnam War. Indeed, it was Eisenhower and the Congress which made a Contract with America, and that contract was you pay your gas tax, and that money is spent to improve highways. Unfortunately, in the past several years, we have had a fraud perpetrated on the American people. It has not happened. We have had abate and switch. You pay your gas tax, but the money in the trust fund does not get spent. To the tune, there is $23 billion in that Highway Trust Fund today.”