On the recordJuly 19, 2023
Since my good friend brought it up, it was a bipartisan agreement. So the world knows that it was a bipartisan agreement here, known in Congress as what is called a four-corners deal: two on their side, two on our side. There are 435 Members of Congress. I wasn't involved. I wasn't one of the four. You weren't one of the four. Nobody else here was one of the four. They decided to spend all these billions of dollars. They didn't come to me and say, well, we need this much for concrete and this much for research, because they decided, and this is what is in the bill. Heaven forbid anybody challenge it. Mr. Chair, we do not have the money. We should reduce the authorization. It is still an increase, just not as much, and it recognizes the fact that our country is broke. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
