Steve Daines: “some in my home State of Montana like to say we have two seasons: winter and construction season. In fact, I grew up in…”

“some in my home State of Montana like to say we have two seasons: winter and construction season. In fact, I grew up in the construction business. You learn in Montana there is a famous line when you are paving and putting in infrastructure. It is called 40 degrees and rising. In other words, if the temperature is not at least 40 degrees and rising, you are not supposed to pave. What that means is that we don't have a real long construction season in Montana to build our highways. I also know how important it is to have certainty before you can break ground, before you can plan a project. With long winters and short summers, Montana construction workers know what it is like to wait for 40 degrees and rising before putting down the asphalt. Unfortunately, they have also learned to wait a long time for a long- term highway bill that provides the certainty needed to make the long- term investments in infrastructure. Congress has passed 33--let me say that again, 33--short-term extensions in an attempt to keep the highway trust fund solvent. Those are 33 too many short-term extensions. As somebody who has spent 28 years in the private sector, I think it is ridiculous as I watch the way the Federal Government operates to try to manage in this spurt- driven, short-term-driven environment of Washington, DC--and I would argue crisis-driven environment.…”