Trent Lott: “we are working on when we are going to be able to get this up. I have a couple of points. One, we have a catch- 22. Our…”

“we are working on when we are going to be able to get this up. I have a couple of points. One, we have a catch- 22. Our Members want to make sure they have a chance to offer amendments, and we want to do that. At the same time, our leadership on both sides has to pay attention to when and how we get it to a conclusion. I think it is incumbent upon our leadership from the committee to work with Members to get amendments but also not to let this become a punching bag and have Members throwing everything out but the kitchen sink. I believe we can move this through in a reasonable time. My attitude is, when Senators have amendments, come over and offer them. We will debate them and then have a vote. We will not shove it over until 9 or 10 o'clock tomorrow night. I think there is hesitation on both sides of the aisle, and we have to work through that. But we have done this before. We did this bill 2 years ago, or so, and we got 90-something votes. So we can do that. Mr. President, one other observation: As I have worked on this, another part of the equation of having a good national rail passage system is encouraging our States to be able to do more on their own and build lines like we have in San Francisco to the L.A. area--there is incentive to do more--and at the same time, not telling poorer States that they have to do way more than they are capable of doing. Also, a couple of weeks ago, I thought about this bill. I was at Big D's Barbeque at Pocahontas, MS.…”