[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 86 (Friday, June 8, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H3664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, last night we debated the future of our 
national transportation system. There are two competing views. There 
are those of us who want to rebuild and build upon the Eisenhower 
legacy with a national transportation system. And then there are those 
on the ultra-right who say the Federal Government should not invest in 
the national transportation system. It should be devolved to the 
States.
  Hey, we already tried that. This is 1956. This is the brand spanking 
new Kansas turnpike. Guess what? It ended in a farmer's field at the 
Oklahoma line because Oklahoma didn't build their section until the 
Eisenhower plan passed and the Federal Government made the investment. 
They want to go back to those good old days. That's going to work 
really well.
  Those of us who believe in investing in a national transportation 
system, putting America back to work, being more competitive and more 
fuel efficient last night were accused of being Socialists. We're 
Socialists because we believe in that. Right, Dwight David Eisenhower 
was a Socialist? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce are Socialists?
  The U.S. Chamber is adamantly opposed to the Broun instruction. They 
say the Chamber strongly opposes the Broun motion to instruct conferees 
and urges you to vote against this effort to slash funding for 
highways, transit and safety programs.
  He would take it zero--no new investment on October 1.
  That's bad for America.

                          ____________________