On the recordFebruary 28, 2012
First, let me express my disappointment that we are not here debating the surface transportation reauthorization bill. We had a bill that came out of the Environment and Public Works Committee and came out of several other of our committees by unanimous vote, so it is a bipartisan bill. It is a bill that will save jobs and create jobs here in America. It will reinvest in our own infrastructure to make America more competitive. And, as I said, it has been done in a bipartisan manner thanks to the hard work of many people. I see Senator Boxer on the floor. Thanks to her incredible leadership, we have an agreed path forward from the point of view of the relevant amendments. So what is holding up the process? It is these amendments that have absolutely nothing to do with the transportation programs of this country. We are talking about policy in Egypt, which has nothing to do with our transportation needs. I would start by saying how disappointed I am that we haven't yet started the real debate on our transportation reauthorization bill which will create jobs, save jobs, modernize America, and make us more competitive. Let me yield for a moment, if I could, to my colleague from California, Senator Boxer.
