Haley Stevens: “This is serious business. There has been a series of holds put on this bill. We now object to taking up this legislation…”

“This is serious business. There has been a series of holds put on this bill. We now object to taking up this legislation in favor of an appropriations bill which has watered down language which is intended--at least in the view of some--to address part of the problem. It does not. Ask any safety expert. It does not. As to the language that has been inserted in the conference bill, I guess we can all thank the advocates of safety for the provision that was in the bill that prevented the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from addressing rollover accidents for a year until a National Academy of Sciences study was completed--again, the special interests. I intend to do whatever I can to see this legislation is brought up before the Senate. I hope those Senators who have a hold on this bill will step forward and identify themselves. This isn't an ordinary piece of legislation. This is a piece of legislation that has to do with the lives of American citizens and those overseas. I don't know of a more compelling problem.”