Political Quotes

“Apparently, I was the reasonable one in the room because this amendment offered by Mr. Norman would eliminate funding for the Denali Commission, and I can support that as well. The Denali Commission is one of seven regional commissions that help direct Federal funds to State and local projects. However, unlike other commissions, the Denali Commission serves only one State--Alaska. This has led some, including the Office of the Inspector General for the Denali Commission, to question the need for the commission since the Federal funds handled by the commission could easily be distributed to the State of Alaska and other local entities without going through the step of yet one more bureaucracy. After all, State and local governments are more knowledgeable and better equipped than the Federal Government to address the needs of local communities. I think we all would recognize that. Both the Government Accountability Office and Congressional Budget Office have raised concerns about the need for the Denali Commission, as have I. Eliminating funding for the Denali Commission was also suggested, as you know, by the Obama administration and the Trump administration. At a time when our growing national debt has surpassed $33 trillion, we cannot continue to use taxpayer dollars to fund wasteful, unnecessary, and duplicative programs.…”