Max Baucus: “I also join in thanking a lot of people who have worked very hard on this bill. Certainly the chairman of the committee…”

“I also join in thanking a lot of people who have worked very hard on this bill. Certainly the chairman of the committee, Senator Inhofe, deserves primary credit. It has been a long road, no fun. He has done a great job, and I commend him as well as the ranking Democrat of the committee, Senator Jeffords from Vermont. They worked very closely together. And that is what makes good legislation. This is not a partisan bill. This is a transportation bill. Of course, Senator Bond from Missouri has done yeoman's work, and I thank Senator Grassley, chairman of the Finance Committee. I wish to make a few comments as we prepare to vote on final passage. I think that vote will occur in several hours. I start by congratulating all those who have worked so hard on this issue, and I thank some people back in my home State of Montana. Jim Lynch is director of the Montana Department of Transportation. He is a terrific director, a very good man. I have known him for many years. He has his heart and soul in this work. I also thank members of his team: Sandy Straehl, Jim Currie, Jim Skinner, Dick Turner, and Mike Tierney, just to name a few. They are terrific people, and many of them were also helpful in TEA-21. They know highways. They know this bill. They know the program. Believe me, they do a good job in helping us. The bill we will vote on in a few hours is a good bill It is a solid bill. It is one that will move the country forward over the next 5 years.…”