Frank Lautenberg: “Mr. President, I think we ought to take some time to pause before we talk about amendments to the bill known as ISTEA to…”

“Mr. President, I think we ought to take some time to pause before we talk about amendments to the bill known as ISTEA to consider what it is that we are about to discuss, and amendments we will be offering once we are engaged in debate about the bill. But before we start that debate, again I want to point out what I think are some of the serious discrepancies in its development. I am not alone in my concerns about it. As I have indicated, other States--I know my friends and colleagues from Illinois have distinct concerns about it. I was particularly interested in a discussion that we had just a while ago in a conference with some of the Democratic Members to learn some of the facts about Illinois roads that I am sure the senior Senator from Illinois will want to discuss. Our colleagues from Massachusetts have some misgivings about the bill. The Senators from Maryland have also indicated the fact that they are not happy with what has been offered in this bill. My colleagues across the river in the State of New York have indicated to me that they are looking seriously at the bill, as other States not exactly in the Northeast corner have also indicated--as I mentioned, the State of Illinois.”