Byron Dorgan: “We have decided, as a country, there are certain things that are national in scope. Our road program is a national…”

“We have decided, as a country, there are certain things that are national in scope. Our road program is a national program, a program of priorities. And I think this amendment simply says, let us determine what represents drunk driving so that you are not driving in one State versus another, and come up to an intersection, when you cross the State line, and find someone driving down the road that is drunk but in fact is not legally drunk because that State has a different set of rules. In fact, you can now--and I hope to change this--you can now drive and drink in five States. In five States you can put a whiskey bottle in one hand and a driver's wheel in the other and drive down the road and you are legal. In over 20 States someone else in the car can have a party while the driver drives as long as the driver does not drink. I also will propose, following this amendment at some point, that in every State in this country we have a prohibition on open containers of alcohol in vehicles.”