Barbara Boxer

I am hopeful we can come together, we need to come together for the good of the country.

I am so honored to introduce to you Vince Chhabria, who has been nominated to the Northern District Court of California.

In closing, let me say Mr. Chhabria would make a tremendous Federal judge, and I urge the Committee and the Senate to swiftly confirm him.

I applaud that committee's work. And everything we can do to find a larger, more permanent funding source for the Highway Trust Fund, I look forward to working with--in a bipartisan way, with that.

I want to ask Senator Durbin how much time he needs, and I will make a request that he be recognized.

No. I say to my friend, I was promised to be able to speak at 3:30 so I am already giving up so much time, so if the Senator from Oklahoma could just take 9\1/2\ minutes.

The Republicans had quite a few on their side speak. The Republicans had three speakers--one right after the other--so now we are going to have three speakers, and then it goes back to Senator Inhofe.

What was supposed to happen was that I was going to speak next. I will give up my place so Senator Murray can speak, followed by Senator Coons, followed by Senator Inhofe for 9\1/2\ minutes. I don't know how many minutes my friend needs--5…

We have had a carefully constructed list of who would speak. I wonder how long the Senator wishes to speak.

When Senator Cruz arrives to take the additional 15 minutes, that is fine. So in other words, the Senator takes 5 minutes, Senator Cruz comes, and I would yield to him for the rest of the 15 minutes. He is not here.

So if the Senator is asking that he take Senator Cruz's 15 minutes, I have no objection.

Well, if I could just say that I am happy to allow that to go forward, but there needs to be a definite time. How much time will all three Senators--my understanding was that Senator Cruz--for how many minutes?

I believe you will come to the conclusion that you have more power than you have ever had before to be in the room and to stay in the room and to have a major impact.

We are going to be watching you, those of us who support these reforms, are going to be watching you, Mr. Porcari.

That is not what we want to hear. Let me say, it is not what I want to hear.

We changed the law. Before DOT set the deadline without the concurrence of these agencies, it was just consultation.

The President has said what he wants to do, he wants to make sure we move and speed ahead with all the right protections.

I have a lot invested in this. I have 100 percent environmental record, OK?

Please, let's focus on where the problem really is, which is Congress and Congress refusing to fund American infrastructure.

Delays in project completion drive up costs while delaying the benefits to travelers and benefits to the environment.

This is a very important moment for us.

I will stop legislation that hurts our people and hurts our environment.

What we did in this bill, with all the hoopla about it, is carry out the vision that President Obama suggested here

I think more needs to be done.

We are here to conduct oversight on the bipartisan Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, MAP-21.