Political Quotes

“My office participated for many weeks in that. Let me give a bit of history. While the Safe Drinking Water Act--not the modifications that the chairman introduced on behalf of a number of Senators, but rather the previous bill--was being debated in the committee, I introduced a bill on behalf of myself, Senator Boren, and Senator Hatfield. And I believe it is fair to say it was supported by a very broad coalition, made up of the Governors through their association; both the Conference of Mayors, and the National League of Cities; the counties of the United States; the National Rural Water Association; and the small water users. It was a very good, powerful, solid group, all concerned about safe drinking water. I think it is fair to say that because that bill was there, we began negotiating off the base bill, with it in mind and with other provisions that Senators had in mind. After much, much discussion and many, many days of hard work, the bill that is pending before the U.S. Senate was finally negotiated out. I thank two Senators who stepped in and did yeoman's work through their staffs--Senator Kerrey of Nebraska and Senator Hatfield of Oregon. I think their names are found alongside of the manager and ranking member now as part of the major bill that is before us. It is indeed a solid compromise, in my opinion. It does a lot of things differently than we have done them in the past, but it does one thing consistent with the past; that is, it assures safe drinking water.”