Max Baucus: “the British statesman Edmund Burke said: All government--indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue, and…”

“the British statesman Edmund Burke said: All government--indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue, and every prudent act--is founded on compromise and barter. Compromise and barter. That means give-and-take in order to work things out. I want to apply Burke's famous aphorism to the two leaders of the Environment and Public Works Committee, the chairman, Senator Barbara Boxer of California, and the ranking member, Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma--one of the Senate's leading liberals and one of the Senate's most dyed-in-the-wool conservatives. While Senators Boxer and Inhofe openly acknowledge there is much they do not agree on, they both agree transportation infrastructure is a smart investment in America's road safety and jobs. So they worked hard to craft a consensus highway bill that three-quarters of the Senate could agree to support. I have always believed this kind of cooperation is the key to success. We can do great things for this country when we work together. When I had the honor of leading the Environment and Public Works Committee, I also had the truly distinct pleasure of working with Senators from both parties who understood Burke's principle of barter and compromise, such as John Warner of Virginia and John Chafee of Rhode Island. So it is very gratifying to know that tradition on the Environment and Public Works Committee continues to be strongly upheld by the chairman and the ranking member today.…”