James Oberstar: “We cannot wait 18 months to do it.”

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this issue. The gentleman from Virginia has been very diligent and vigilant on deficit reduction and on careful investment of the public resources, as has the gentleman from…

I completely agree with the gentleman. As the gentleman from Florida and I discussed in our hearing yesterday, the purpose of the trust fund is not to relieve anyone of responsibility. I was part of crafting that legislation in 1990 and…

We must move away from complete reliance on public funding for infrastructure and forge a new, stronger connection between private capital and infrastructure needs.

The Highway Trust Fund, based chiefly on the gasoline tax, will never again be adequate to fund even ongoing maintenance of our roads and bridges.