| 00:00:00 | PORTLAND, OREGON, TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO ASSIST SMALL BUSINESS. |
| 00:00:06 | AND ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. |
| 00:00:07 | BUT THE FACTS ARE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THIS AID AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IS GOING TO BE UNFOCUSED. |
| 00:00:14 | IT'S GOING TO GO TO PEOPLE WHETHER THEY NEED IT OR NOT, INCLUDING SOME OF THE WEALTHIEST INDIVIDUALS AND PARTNERSHIPS, ACCOUNTANTS, LOBBYISTS, AND TO COMPANIES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY ADD EMPLOYMENT OR REDUCE IT. |
| 00:00:30 | AT THIS VERY TIME WE HAVE PEOPLE ON CAPITOL HILL WHO ARE BEGGING US TO GET REAL ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. |
| 00:00:39 | WE FINALLY ARE GETTING A BILL TO CONFERENCE, BUT WE ARE HUNG UP ON FUNDING IT. |
| 00:00:46 | THE REPUBLICAN BUDGET WOULD CUT TRANSPORTATION FUNDING 46%. |
| 00:00:56 | $6.5 BILLION LESS THAN IS NECESSARY TO KEEP CURRENT OBLIGATIONS. |
| 00:01:03 | THIS WEEK SMALL BUSINESSPEOPLE, INCLUDING A NUMBER WHO VISITED MY OFFICE, CAME IN IMPLORING US TO STOP THE GAMES, GET ON WITH THE RE-AUTHORIZATION OF THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION ACT. |
| 00:01:18 | IF WE REALLY ARE GOING TO BORROW $46 BILLION FROM CHINA OR WHOMEVER, AND ADD TO THE DEFICIT, IF WE HAVE THAT CAPACITY, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES WE SHOULD INVEST IT IN REBUILDING AND RENEWING AMERICA. |
| 00:01:37 | THIS $46 BILLION ADDED TO THE BIPARTISAN SENATE BILL THAT PASSED WITH 74 VOTES, HALF THE REPUBLICANS, YOU TAKE THAT MONEY PLUS $46 BILLION, WE COULD HAVE A ROBUST RE-AUTHORIZATION OF THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION ACT, CREATE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FAMILY-WAGE JOBS -- THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED. |
| 00:02:06 | MR. |
| 00:02:07 | BLUMENAUER: CREATE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FAMILY-WAGE JOBS, NOT PICKING WINNERS AND |
Mr. BLUMENAUER. I listened to my good friend and colleague from the other side of the river from my hometown of Portland, Oregon, talking about trying to assist small business and encourage economic development.
But the facts are that the vast majority of this aid, as we've talked about, is going to be unfocused. It's going to go to people whether they need it or not, including some of the wealthiest individuals and partnerships--accountants, lobbyists--and to companies regardless of whether or not they add employment or reduce it.
At this very time, we have people on Capitol Hill who are begging us to get real about infrastructure investment. We finally are getting a bill to conference, but we're hung up on funding it. The Republican budget would cut transportation funding 46 percent, $6.5 billion less than is necessary to keep current obligations. This week, small business people, including a number who visited my office, came in, imploring us to stop the games and to get on with the reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act.
If we really are going to borrow $46 billion from China or from whomever and add to the deficit, if we have that capacity, for heavens sakes, we should invest it in rebuilding and renewing America.