Political Quotes

“I have never seen, in my history, a bill passing the Senate with this much support, that is so important to our Nation, being held up. It is 11 weeks since we passed a highway bill, the $318 billion Surface Transportation Equity Act. To get it to conference, we have to have the approval of the minority. I am taking this step. I am taking this radical step because the people of America need to know. When I go home, they say: How come we don't have a highway bill? They don't understand that we are being blocked from going to conference. We can't work out the differences between the House and Senate unless we can go to conference. If there has ever been a bipartisan bill, I believe this bill is it. Chairman Inhofe with Senator Jeffords, Senator Reid and I have worked, I think collegially and effectively, in bringing a good bill to the floor of the Senate. It is obvious when the bill passes with 76 votes that it was a good bipartisan bill. We can't tell what is going to come out of conference. I am going to go into conference saying we need a $318 billion bill. But if we can't go to conference, we can't even take that step. We have been delayed and delayed from going to conference. That is what, unfortunately, we have to explain to our constituents around the country--that the transportation system lifeline to our country and our economy is being held up.”