Barbara Boxer

I just wanted to thank Senator Lautenberg for his extraordinary leadership on this and so many environmental issues.

I want to assure colleagues that on this particular piece of legislation, we have worked closely together, as have Senators Dodd and Shelby over at Banking, as have Senators Inouye and Stevens. This is one of those moments which doesn't…

That's what Senator Barbara Boxer accused of White House of, for delaying a decision on whether polar bears should be protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Is it the intent of this bill or the rules promulgated there under by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to preempt proposition 65?

Over 20 years ago, the people of California enacted a landmark ballot measure known as proposition 65. Proposition 65 prohibits exposures to chemicals like lead that are known to cause cancer or reproductive harm without a clear and…

I speak the truth. I speak the truth. I stood next to Senator Reid, and he made requests on all those issues I outlined--LIHEAP, extended unemployment benefits, tax breaks for solar, et cetera--and the Republican side objected. I speak the…

I do find those words inspiring.

We need to make sure we can build the roads, but do it right, make sure that we have environmental protections.

I am all for streamlining, as long as we keep protections in there.

It is not about me. It is about your constituents.

It really disturbs me to think that Government would know... if you want to know how many people are using a road at a certain time of day, you just set those little strips.

I don't know why we have to come up with this thing about spying on people and putting GPSs in their cars.

I think your point about a connection between the environment and our infrastructure is key.

Senator Boxer. We seem to have an open checkbook, I would agree with Senator Voinovich, for other countries at this point, but not for the taxpayers.

Senator Boxer. Now, $40 billion a year from the Federal Government, that is 4 months in Iraq.

Senator Boxer. The fact is, we are doing 40 percent. And the States and the cities and everybody else, and the counties, are doing the rest.

I find your testimony a tremendous let-down.

I am going to ask if you would be willing to go back and give me responsive, complete and truthful answers.

That is why I thought the Commission, and that Commission, with Republicans and Democrats and Independents, and they came together and said, we need to have a new sources of funding based on vehicle miles traveled.

How we come up with $225 billion a year by simply allocating our resources more efficiently, encouraging States to impose fees such as tolls and congestion pricing, it is just not going to happen.

I just think it is so much of a false--I know you believe what you are saying--but it is a false expectation for the people to believe that we can meet our needs as a great and growing and strong Nation.

My question is, if you want to go to it right now, why did you tell the majority leader that there were changes to it and you needed to read and take all 30 hours to read the bill? I don't understand.

Now I am confused, truly, honestly. I thought Senator McConnell said, after you informed him there were changes to the bill, that he was very concerned about that and he needed time to read the bill. That is what I heard both of you talk…

I hope we all heed Trent Lott's words that he spoke so beautifully right now. He spoke from the heart, and he spoke from experience. As I listened to him, I thought: We do sometimes forget about what is important in life. I think he…

My growers have assured me that if the allocation is there, they will be able to grow the sugar beets necessary to meet the need. They have told me that under the 2002 farm bill, they lost 133,750 tons raw value in allocation and would…