Mark Dayton: “I thank the bill's managers, Senator Inhofe and the ranking member, Senator Jeffords, for standing up against what I…”

“I thank the bill's managers, Senator Inhofe and the ranking member, Senator Jeffords, for standing up against what I believe are very misguided attempts to take a meat cleaver to this very important bill. It is terribly unfortunate that immediately following the most recent budget projections, which show enormous deficits for this year and for the years thereafter, the very first legislation that comes to the floor is this one that provides transportation funding for the next 6 years. This is not, I urge my colleagues, the place to economize. To do so in this bill would be penny wise and pound idiotic. It would be kind of like a person who was told by his doctor he has to lose weight and he decides to eliminate fruits and vegetables. These are public investments in our Nation's highways, bridges, rail lines, and mass transit systems. They are critical to our social and economic vitality--moving products quickly to market; moving people swiftly, smoothly, and safely to jobs, schools, and family activities, and then back home again. These are critical investments in the future of our country.”