Bob Kerrey: “let me first pay my compliments to Senator Chafee, Senator Baucus, Senator Kempthorne, and Senator Reid. This is a very…”

“let me first pay my compliments to Senator Chafee, Senator Baucus, Senator Kempthorne, and Senator Reid. This is a very difficult piece of legislation. If you had asked me a week ago if I thought we would be able to get to conference and final passage before the August recess, I would not be very optimistic about it. In fact, I was prepared to take up the measure on radon in the VA-HUD appropriations bill for the fourth year in a row. I do not know how we managed to get it done. I am very grateful for its completion. For all of the rural communities of Nebraska--90 percent of our public water supply is in communities under 2,500 population--they all thank you. This bill probably saved our State millions of dollars over the next 10 years. All the consumers of drinking water will have safer drinking water as a consequence of this change, and we are very grateful to Senator Chafee, Senator Baucus, Senator Kempthorne, and Senator Reid. This is a very important piece of legislation. It is likely to have, I think, a unanimous vote here in the Senate at an age when people wonder whether or not Republicans and Democrats can work together. It is a significant improvement in our law. I am very grateful that we are enacting it. Chairman Chafee and Senator Baucus deserve our thanks and appreciation for their leadership on this issue.”