Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this en bloc amendment. The American people overwhelmingly have been telling us that Congress must pass an infrastructure bill which focuses on true infrastructure and not superficial projects perpetuating frivolous spending. We have crumbling roads and bridges on the verge of collapse across the country, and my Democrat colleagues with a straight face are prioritizing road art over actual roads. This amendment would maintain the current probation on defining infrastructure as art. It is, once again, clear where the priority of the majority is, and it is not on transportation, roads, and bridges. The fact that we even have to have this debate on this amendment shows how out of touch some of my colleagues are. The INVEST in America Act does little to streamline permitting and get relative costs in order. In California 40 percent of the cost of building a new home is related to government fees. In Texas it is 20 percent. Mr. Speaker, you can expect similar costs when it comes to other infrastructure projects. My amendment included in the en bloc ensures States, such as California, can choose if they want to have exuberant costs--just not at the cost of the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, this amendment would encourage States to right size their permit costs and not award high-permit-cost States with a Federal bailout, and I urge adoption.”