Political Quotes

“Let me thank the ranking member. The fact of the matter is, notwithstanding what was offered to the House as the picture of America, we actually live in the greatest country in the world. We have the strongest economy. We are the wealthiest country. There is no country, based on the IMF, that would want to trade our position vis-a-vis debt-to-wealth ratio. I hear the gentleman saying, Woe is America, and we can't afford to subsidize rail. I think the ranking member makes it clear that there is no form of transportation that is not subsidized. I heard this utterance that we don't subsidize airplane travel. This is nonsensical. Just the facts of this bill itself outline some of our country's subsidies for our airline industry. {time} 2215 But I want to talk about Amtrak. When it is said that there is a $1 billion subsidy and that somehow we can't afford that from last year, I want to remind this House that for each and every month we have been in Afghanistan, we have been spending $2 billion a week for well over a decade, as a Nation. The idea that we can't afford to have a first-rate passenger rail system defies logic. It is just a matter of political will. We need to make a decision about America's place in the world, and our economy is dependent on our ability to transport not just freight but human beings, and Amtrak is critical to that. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for yielding me time.…”