David Thomas: “I am glad this conversation is going on. Certainly there isn't anything before us that is more immediate in need and…”

“I am glad this conversation is going on. Certainly there isn't anything before us that is more immediate in need and more important than this highway bill. Not only is it a matter of infrastructure, of course, that we necessarily need, but it is also a matter of providing more jobs more quickly than anything we can possibly do. Someone said this morning at one of our meetings that they will wait until next year to use the money. Not at all. I think many of the highway departments similar to Wyoming where I am from are ready to go. They are ready to contract. They can move very quickly. I think it is terribly important that we move forward on this. I hope before we are through that we have a thorough discussion of the bill. But I hope we don't get off into a bunch of irrelevant amendments that really do not belong in here but are simply trying to be used as a carrot and a stick. That is not the way it ought to be. In any event, this is a very large bill and it is very detailed.”