Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman and the ranking member and all of the committee staff for their hard work on this bill. Mr. Chairman, one of the most important things during the appropriations process is making tough decisions and identifying priorities that need funding. One area that is specifically important is providing water throughout the country, including in rural areas. In my State and across the West, there are critical water infrastructure projects that are waiting to be funded. They were promised to be funded by the Federal Government years ago, and construction is underway on many of these projects. Many communities have put in more than their fair share of funding. The States have done so as well. The only entity that has failed to follow through on that commitment is the Federal Government. Water is one of our most basic needs, and we need to ensure that we have safe and affordable drinking water across this country. For rural areas, it is also a jobs issue. Without the completion of rural water projects, businesses aren't able to create much-needed jobs, and local economies suffer. Unfortunately, year after year, the funding for these projects continues to decline under the President's budget requests. We have the opportunity here today to make some meaningful progress on these projects and ensure that the Federal Government follows through on its previous commitments.…”