I think an 18-month extension is not the best thing for the economy or businesses, especially small businesses.

The $450 billion question is: Where are we going to get the money?

This isn't chump change. It is $35 billion. It is half or even more than half, depending upon how you look at it, of what we put out there in stimulus.

President Obama said that something must be done to stimulate our economy, and I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle must have thought President Obama said spend $1 trillion of our children's…

Elections do matter. But in my lifetime, I have never seen an election change the speed or increase the speed of the bureaucracy working.

Today the average price of gas in the Ninth Congressional District of Pennsylvania is over $4 a gallon. It has had a dramatic impact on families and small businesses across my district and across Pennsylvania. The American people know that…

today Congress can finally do something positive when it comes to energy, the energy situation in this country, and that is to pass this landmark legislation, The Passenger Rail Investment Improvement Act of 2008. With gas prices today at…

For 100 years the private sector operated passenger rail profitably. But what happened to it wasn't mismanagement, it was aviation, the airplane that came about. It was the interstate highway system that we built in this country. So people…

I rise today to call out to the American people to ask them to take notice of what's happening here on the floor. When the majority party took control in January, they promised a new direction. But the only direction they've received is to…

I have great concern in that. I believe the trash issue, as I said, is significant. Pennsylvania is the biggest importer of trash in the Nation with 10 million tons every year coming across the border into Pennsylvania. My concern is that…

this amendment deals with STB preemption of laws regarding railroad waste transportation facilities. The Rail Subcommittee has held several hearings on this issue, one last year and another just yesterday. I've a great interest in this…

Chairman Oberstar's manager's amendment contains several important provisions. First, it codifies FRA's existing safety advisory on railroad bridges. This provision will help ensure that the recent tragic collapse of the highway bridge in…

this authorizes a program to install a pilot electric conveyer system for cargo. There have been several concepts developed for the Port of Los Angeles to move cargo using electric trucks, LNG trucks, automated shuttles, and even maglev…

I came away with a couple of observations. First in Pakistan, our allies in the war on terror, the Pakistanis, have great concern about an early withdrawal from Iraq, because they saw first hand, after the defeat of the Soviet Union in…

I have the time estimate, if you are filling out your own taxes it's anywhere from 8 hours to 27 hours, if you did it yourself, which is a considerable amount of time for an individual.

In closing, I just wanted to point out, as the gentleman mentioned, the importance of keeping your own money, being able to invest it, being able to save it. I think a lot of times Americans feel helpless, hopeless over this tax situation…

I apologize. Like I said, it is confusing to me because they just keep on take, take, take just like the cash machine at the banks.

I do not know if I can take it. You have just made the case on why we need to scrap this tax code and start with something new. I do not know.

our enemies are listening, and they are planning on our actions today, just like the North Vietnamese did decades ago. And don't believe me, but listen to the words of Colonel Bui Tin, who served on the general's staff of the North…

As I said, next Monday night, April 30, Tax Freedom Day, Americans will begin to start working for themselves. In 2003, Tax Freedom Day was April 18. We have slowly grown to April 30. It will be even longer than that if this Congress…

That ATM which I mentioned earlier and this conversation I have had over the past couple of weeks with my accountant, he is seeing married couples, both husband and wife are teachers, and they are real close to getting caught up in that…

Mr. Chairman, I rise with great concern and in opposition to H.R. 1401. I think there are many provisions in this bill that are positive, that will enhance security, but I am concerned about the strategy as we move forward. Do we have one…

for the past 2 months, myself and others have been coming to the floor to talk about the impending tax increase that we face in this country if the majority doesn't act in something just under 1,400 days, and we will see this huge tax…

And the gentleman, the point he just made is they try to compare Iraq to Vietnam, and it is not a good comparison at all. But, when the United States Congress is going to make an attempt to micromanage a war, that is going to be a…

Absolutely. I didn't mean to interrupt you, but I just wanted to know what size business that was and make sure the American people know that we are talking about people in their neighborhoods, in their communities, that employ 25, 30, 50…