Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer this amendment to reduce funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission, or the NBRC, to prepandemic fiscal year 2019 levels. Like other regional commissions, the NBRC provides economic development assistance to projects in various States, in this case, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. I don't know if you are seeing a theme here. You want extra money from the Federal Government, and you are not getting enough, just create a commission. Get your buddies in other States to create a commission, and in comes the money. These commissions simply serve as a slush fund for parochial and regional projects with little or actually no national nexus. They don't belong in the purview of the Federal government. They belong in State and local governments. Let's take a look at some of the funded programs taken from the 2022 annual report, which is the latest report available, 2022: $304,000 to purchase a sound system for an auditorium in New Hampshire. I am sure it is wonderful. If I get to New Hampshire, maybe I will get to hear it, but in the meantime I am going to pay for it, and so are you. Over $350,000 to expand rail yard capacity in upstate New York. I don't know, I am paying for freight costs. We have all kinds of incentives for railroads in this country. I know, Mr. Chair, I am on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We have $350,000 coming from this commission to pay for that, as well.…”