[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 120 (Thursday, September 4, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H7845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          REAUTHORIZING TEA-21

  (Mrs. MUSGRAVE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address one of the most 
important issues we will debate during the 108th Congress, the 
reauthorization of TEA-21.
  TEA-21 funding ends on September 30, 2003, less than 30 days from 
now. So far, this Congress has failed to even introduce a 
reauthorization bill. As our highways, bridges, and city streets fall 
apart, this House has failed to act, and time is running out.
  Tragically, instead of seeking out creative transportation reforms, 
it seems that many in this body have decided that raising taxes and 
indexing them to inflation is the best way to be good stewards of 
taxpayers' money. This idea is not only counter to our Republican 
ideals, but it also is irresponsible, regressive, and counterproductive 
to our efforts to pass meaningful tax cuts earlier this year.
  When Coloradans sent me to Congress, they did so knowing that I am a 
fiscal conservative who wants to make government smaller, not bigger. I 
will not stand idly by while their taxes are being raised. What Member 
of this body ran on a promise to increase taxes by almost 50 percent? 
Not one of us. The majority of my colleagues ran on promises of smaller 
government and lower taxes.
  It is time to see a TEA-21 reauthorization bill with meaningful 
reforms.

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