On the recordNovember 3, 2011
we have had a lot of conversation today. We all agree we need infrastructure. On both sides of the aisle we have had a good conversation. I have said before, a road is not a Democratic or Republican road, a bridge is not a Democratic or Republican bridge, nor is a water line or a sewer line. So I rise to address the competing proposals to build infrastructure in this country and to start getting America back to work. Earlier this week, I attended a ribbon-cutting at the Bluestone Dam in beautiful Hinton, WV. When they started work on that dam, I was the Governor of our great State of West Virginia. I was sitting in my office and said to the Corps colonel: Explain to me what the problem could be. He said: Maybe the bedrock, and there might be some possibilities with unusual flooding where we could lose that dam, breach that dam. I asked: What does that mean? He said: Think of it this way, Governor. We are sitting in your office in the capitol, in Charleston, WV. We would be underwater right now. So it brought it to reality for me, the extent of the water we are dealing with and the billions and billions of dollars in downstream costs that would be incurred. So we decided we had to fix that. With the help of our Federal Government, we started working on that way back in 2002, and we are going into our third phase of that project. Roads and bridges are in terrible condition all over the country and in every part of everybody's State.…
