Political Quotes

“I am on the Senate floor to explain why I am on the floor today. A week ago, I came to the Senate floor to raise what I think is a very serious point, and that is, we are being filibustered on the procedural motions to take the highway bill to a conference with the House. I had the great privilege and pleasure back in January of 2003 to assume the chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and I did so knowing full well that committee, along with the full committee, had the responsibility for drafting what I consider to be one of the most important infrastructure bills this Congress ever deals with, and that is the transportation bill or, as it is known by some, the highway bill. This year we are calling it SAFETEA. This is the acronym adopted by the administration to emphasize the fact that it is a safety-related measure. Good highways, roads, and bridges, along with mass transit and other elements, are vitally important to our country in a number of ways. For those of us who are stuck in traffic around Washington, DC, being stuck in traffic is like having breakfast in the morning, and it is as reliable as flowers in the springtime. Better roads mean less congestion, less hassle. But there are many other items that are very important as well, because good roads and the lack of congestion mean less pollution.”