Political Quotes

“I contest the point of order. Mr. Chairman, I am very disappointed that the chairman of the authorizing committee has raised a point of order against section 333 of this bill. This provision deletes the non-Federal match for the section 130 grade crossing programs. In 1999, the unobligated national balance, which was a disgrace, totaled $142 million. That means there was $142 million just lying out there for States to use for rail crossings to save lives. Many States have had difficulty expanding the section 130 funds, and as a result, some States have a few years of unobligated balances that should be used to eliminate grade crossing hazards. For example, Mr. Chairman, the State of Georgia has $9,630,879 in unobligated balances, and the State of North Carolina has $7,451,146 in unobligated balances. Deleting the non-Federal match would permit States to reduce those unobligated balances and eliminate a greater number of grade crossing hazards than previously planned, and improve safety for American families.”