Amy Klobuchar

Air service is incredibly important in my state.

I strongly support Senate bill S. 1134 as the best opportunity to achieve the required project authorization that will allow the construction of a new bridge over the St. Croix River.

I assure you that the people who live and work in the St. Croix River Valley have done everything possible to create the best plan for the entire region.

We believe that the support we have created--we believe, with that support, we have a project and legislation that works within the procedural confines of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in a limited way.

While we cannot support the legislation, we acknowledge the efforts of Senator Klobuchar and her staff to include the mitigation provisions.

But right now we are really focused on this specific exemption, Senator Paul, and we think that is, and the story is, there have been reversals of opinions and a lot of litigation.

There is broad consensus that a new bridge is necessary.

The legislation to authorize the bridge should be enacted by September 30th, 2011.

It's time to break the deadlock and bring this project out of the bureaucratic limbo that it's been in for 30 years.

I think it is an example we can look at.

I believe, to aggressively combat distracted driving.

I believe this technology can be an incredibly effective way to keep drunk drivers off the road.

I was brief. And I have another hearing to go to, too.

Now that Begich is gone, I can say that, now that he's done touting Anchorage.

You mentioned TIGER, and I think that was a very popular part of AARA.

We care a lot about infrastructure. In our state, that was really brought home to us when we had our bridge collapse, I-35W bridge.

Very good. I just had one question...

I just wanted to end--I will maybe have one more question when we come back and talk about the drug court graduations...

Senators Grassley and Schumer and I have been working on a number of bills to include these types of substances on the list of illegal drugs.

The numbers which my colleagues have mentioned are astounding: 75 percent of drug court graduates will not be arrested again.

It shows again this is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem; it is all of our problems.

I think that just shows the bipartisan support for moving forward with drug courts.

Senator Klobuchar has been instrumental in helping secure that loan guarantee.

Ag exports are up, Madam Chair, 22 percent in Minnesota.

Our manufacturing is really on the upswing in Minnesota.