James Oberstar: “Mr. Speaker, once again time has run out on our effort to reauthorize the core mobility program of America, our Federal…”

“Mr. Speaker, once again time has run out on our effort to reauthorize the core mobility program of America, our Federal highway public transit and transportation safety programs. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century expired 7 months ago, on September 30, 2003. On September 24, in consideration of that bill, I said, ``I'm afraid we'll be back here on this floor once again pleading for another extension of time to keep transportation programs from once again expiring. I do not want to be back on this floor saying again what I said 6 years ago in 1997, time is running out.'' Well, here we are. In the words of an icon of the other party, here we go again. We passed the 5-month extension bill last fall carrying programs through February 29, kind of a mystical date. It appears once every 4 years. So here we are mystically appearing once again, pleading for another short-term extension through the end of June. Who is going to give me odds we are going to be back here in June saying, please, another extension of time so we do not shut down our transportation programs. Why? Because, for the first time in my nearly 30 years as a member of this committee, as a member, and another 11 years as a member of the staff of that committee, ideology, not good public bipartisan transportation policy, is driving this process.”