Never-Never Land

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about an imaginary world that many of my Republicans, I believe, are living in.

Peter Pan's Neverland is a place many of us think of with fond thoughts of our childhoods. It is an imaginary place where anything is possible and innocence lasts forever.

Mr. Speaker, sadly, I think the House is operating under some sort of a never-never land that neither reflects our best nor our brightest. It is a Neverland in which House leaders think we can build and reconstruct bridges, roads, and highways without the funding to do so. How do you do that? It sounds like never-never land to me.

How else do you explain 32 or--I forget--34 patches--short-term extensions--since the Federal authorization ran out 7 years ago, thus continuing to kick the can down the road? How is it possible to keep hard working individuals employed or to maintain the safety of our roads and transit systems if we are not providing the long-term funding to do so to match both State and local funding? It is not possible. Once again, we are going to see another patch for 2 months--kicking this can down the road.

This is a never-never land that the American public is frustrated with. This is America's Congress. We can, we must, and we should do better.

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