Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the development of the Appalachian Development Highway System, ADHS. The completion of this highway system, which connects 13 States from New York to Mississippi, is critical to the economic development of the region as a whole. Despite the significant progress Appalachia has made over the past few decades, the region has continued to face economic challenges. In the 420-county region, approximately one fourth of these counties are designated as having high poverty, meaning that the poverty rate is 1.5 times the U.S. average. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, two thirds of the Appalachian counties have unemployment rates that are higher than the national average. Completion of the Appalachian Development Highway System will spur economic development in the region and create much needed jobs. The Federal Government has played a significant role in the development of this initiative and I urge my colleagues to renew this commitment. Today, my colleague Senator Cardin from Maryland and I introduced a bill that will help the continued development of this highway system. Our bill will reverse language in the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, SAFETEA-LU, that prohibits the use of toll credits for the non-federal share for ADHS projects.…”