We are very proud of his public service. We thank you very much for your continued willingness to want to serve our Nation.

the Federal Government does have to treat like employees similarly.

He has good judgment and unquestioned integrity, and I think that really sums it up.

I think most of us believe these tools are extremely important, and we want to make sure that you have the tools that you need.

So yes, it is critically important that we make the right investments.

It has been estimated that we spend 4.2 billion hours a year stuck in traffic.

Less than three-tenths of 1 percent of our GDP is being invested in our non-defense public structures and buildings.

The funding we provided merely put a dent in the enormous backlog of transportation needs in this country.

Total current spending is well below what is needed to improve the condition of our national transportation infrastructure.

I think these are important points and need to be part of the policies that we look forward to in our next effort on reauthorization.

Our Nation's surface transportation system is in desperate need of repair while being stretched to its limits.

I would just stress I would hope that we will have the opportunity to return to the issues of the PATRIOT Act far in advance of the deadline for the end of this year where we have to act.