Nick Rahall: “As we begin debate on this legislation, we are indeed at a crossroads in this country. We can decide whether we want to…”

“As we begin debate on this legislation, we are indeed at a crossroads in this country. We can decide whether we want to retreat from the transportation needs of the new century and fail to make the necessary investments in our highway and transit infrastructure, or we can rise to the challenge and dedicate the necessary resources to these endeavors. Those of us who bring this legislation forth today are seeking to rise to that challenge, to keep faith with the American public, to restore integrity and restore trust back into the Highway Trust Fund and to make the necessary investments in America. To be clear, this is not just about an investment in concrete and asphalt, but one about investment into our children, one about investment into our environment, and an investment into the very social fabric of this Nation. This legislation involves the very standard of living we in this country wish to enjoy, and it entails the type of legacy we wish to leave to future generations, our children.”