Frank Lautenberg

I am deeply committed to keeping our children in this country of ours healthy, and I love and care deeply for my diabetic grandchild.

It takes a lot to turn a struggle into strength, but all of you have done that.

I think our Nation lacks a vision on how we're going to move our American public out to 2050.

I want to commend Chairman Rockefeller and Chairman Lautenberg for their recently introduced surface transportation policy bill.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (or 'ARRA') builds on this vision and expands on it.

I must say that she was a light at the end of the tunnel in some of the really tough moments that we had.

I would like to thank the Committee, and particularly, Senator Lautenberg and Senator Hutchison, for your wisdom and your efforts on our behalf.

It's time to change, and we'd better do it soon, because infrastructure is a lot like that Fram oil commercial, 'You can pay me now,' and he holds up a filter--8.75--'or you can pay me later,' and he points to the dilapidated car--$4,625…

No company would ever--we were operating on a cash basis, that would have been impossible.

President Obama has proposed to make about a billion dollars a year available for grant program funding.

We need to fund the highway trust fund to the highest levels, restore faith, hope and accountability to the program.

You and I are very much on the same page, and all we have to do is convince about 85 others here that we're doing the right thing there.

We need to shift our priorities. We need both . . . highways and passenger rail.

I hope Congress will very closely monitor how this program is implemented.

Rural connectivity is critical to the future of our Nation's sustainability.

Thanks very much, Senator Rockefeller. Your position as Chairman of this Committee is one that gives us encouragement that we can achieve this goal of ours.

What sources of funding might Congress consider for these future high-speed rail investments?

Thank you very much.

We have got to convince the American public that high-speed passenger rail is going to be predictable, that it's going to be on time, and it's going to be reliable.

President Obama has made high-speed rail a priority.

Sorry, the train was a little late in getting here.

I think that upon investigation you would find that probably less than 2 percent of all cargo is now moved on inland waterways.

The movement of containers or trailers or other non-bulk cargo by vessel between continental U.S. ports... is subject to the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT).

I would like to commend Chairman Rockefeller and Subcommittee Chairman Lautenberg for introducing legislation that seeks to establish a new approach and a new standard for the next surface transportation reauthorization.

Freight chokepoints can put huge delays and additional costs on the transportation of goods.