Max Baucus: “In ``Common Sense,'' the American patriot Thomas Paine wrote in 1776 as follows: The landholder, the farmer, the…”

“In ``Common Sense,'' the American patriot Thomas Paine wrote in 1776 as follows: The landholder, the farmer, the manufacturer, the merchant, the tradesman, and every occupation, prospers by the aid which each receives from the other, and from the whole. Common interest regulates their concerns, and forms their law. Common interest produces common security. In the 240 years since Paine's pamphlet helped define who we are as Americans, our transportation system has become the cornerstone of our common interest. There are few things under the Sun that are not impacted by our highways, our roads and bridges, and our transit systems, yet we can too easily take our network for granted. A recent Rockefeller Foundation survey found that two-thirds of all respondents believe America should invest more in infrastructure. It is a common interest. That same survey found that two-thirds of all Americans believe they should not have to pay any more for this increase in infrastructure investment. That means we have to rise to the challenge in Congress to come up with a highway bill that invests in infrastructure without asking folks to pay more than their fair share. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Transportation Performance Index, we could lose nearly $340 billion in potential economic growth over the next 5 years if we do not pass a highway bill and provide the certainty our economy needs. Let me make that statement again.…”