Bud Shuster: “Categorical exclusions in rights of way. If you're going to replace a bridge in the same footprint, we shouldn't have to…”

“Categorical exclusions in rights of way. If you're going to replace a bridge in the same footprint, we shouldn't have to go through these endless, long environmental reviews. We should be able to build that quickly and efficiently. In fact, my colleague from Oregon, who is the ranking member on the Highway Subcommittee, has suggested that there is some common ground there. In fact, I quote him, he said, and it had to do with putting streetcars back on the streets: We're going to have fewer cars on the road, why should we spend a lot of time and money studying it? And I agree with him. And finally, when there's a disaster, to eliminate or to reduce significantly these reviews they have to go through, just as in the case of I 35, as was mentioned earlier, to be able to build that bridge in a much more efficient, faster time to get it up and running. I support the gentleman's motion to instruct, and I stand ready as a Republican on the conference committee to put a bill forward that we can pass here, and I would urge all of my colleagues in the House to support this motion to instruct.”