James M. Jeffords: “I have just never worked with someone who has been more cooperative--and our staffs--to bring about a consensus in a…”

“I have just never worked with someone who has been more cooperative--and our staffs--to bring about a consensus in a very difficult bill. A little change here and a little change there will change millions of dollars and who it goes to and will bring about a consensus that will at least make enough people happy to vote for the bill, which is the ultimate goal. We have made great progress. I think we are now in a position where we are going to be able to move forward. TEA-21 provided record funding levels for transportation, which allowed States and local governments to make greater investments in our transportation systems than ever before. S. 1072 will continue that trend. In crafting this bill, Chairman Inhofe, Senator Bond, Senator Reid, and I wanted to ensure the resources available under this bill would be spent wisely and responsibly. During our hearings, we learned of challenges facing communities and transportation agencies trying to manage a full load of increasingly complex transportation projects. In response, we crafted a bill that will improve the delivery and stewardship of the Federal aid highway program.”