Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the bipartisan, Senate-passed highway transportation reauthorization bill, or MAP 21. We all know, in this global economy in which we now live, in order to truly be competitive we need to have a 21st century infrastructure to match a 21st century economy, but we're not there. Our Nation right now, of course, is facing a fragile economic recovery. Nowhere is that more apparent than in my home State of Rhode Island, which currently has an unemployment rate of 11 percent. MAP 21 will help rebuild America's economy on a stronger, more sustainable foundation. It will provide the financing for critical highway and transit projects, and it will support almost 2 million jobs--9,000 of them right in my home State of Rhode Island. The failure to pass a long-term transportation bill could result in additional job losses, threatening our economic recovery and countless families who are barely getting by as it is. The Senate has done its job. Now it is time for the House to do the same. Let's bring MAP 21 to a vote and move forward on the path to rebuilding our roads, our communities, and our economy. ____________________”