Transportation-HUD Appropriations Bill
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. President, from the outset, the new Senate has worked to realize a smarter and more inclusive appropriations process. That is why we passed a budget, moving past 6 years of inaction. That is why we passed all 12 appropriations bills through committee, moving past 6 years of inaction. Nearly all of those bills passed on a bipartisan basis. That is why it is so disappointing to see voices on the other side try to tie them up in gridlock.
We never lost sight of the goal. We never stopped trying to move the Senate forward and our country ahead. Because we kept pushing, we are steadily overcoming the partisan gridlock of the past and steadily moving back to regular order on appropriations. Last week we passed one bipartisan appropriations bill--the bill that funds America's veterans. Today we will begin to advance another--the bill that funds America's transportation and housing infrastructure.
I would like to recognize the Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, for her work in crafting a bipartisan bill that makes smart investments in critical transportation and infrastructure priorities. This is a bipartisan bill that will help ensure our transportation systems are reliable, efficient, and safe. This is a bipartisan bill that will increase the efficiency and affordability of Federal housing programs.
For example, the expanded Moving to Work Program it contains will offer a helping hand to lower income Americans. Moving to Work is one of the many success stories of the bipartisan welfare reform effort of the 1990s, and by expanding it from 39 to 339 housing authorities, we can help more Americans achieve the self-sufficiency that is at the core of our national dream.
Americans who strive for a better life deserve real opportunity. They deserve serious policies that can make positive differences in their lives. That is what Moving to Work aims to achieve. It is just one more reason to pass the bipartisan transportation infrastructure bill before us.
Again, I want to thank our colleague from Maine for her important work across the aisle to craft it. We look forward to debating the bill today.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source