David Thomas: “I came back this week after our recess very enthusiastic about moving forward on ISTEA. The people in my State are very…”

“I came back this week after our recess very enthusiastic about moving forward on ISTEA. The people in my State are very anxious about it. It is an important issue to us, the funding of Federal highways. Our State, of course, has lots of highways and not too many people. I must tell you I am disappointed we are not moving along a little faster on something I think is probably the highest priority that we have now before we adjourn for the fall, the funding of our Interstate Highway Program in the ISTEA. I hope we do find a way to move forward with it. It seems like it is discouraging to us, discouraging to the American people, when we find ourselves in gridlock here in the Senate, not able to do the kind of things we want to do, the kind of things that people want us to do, the kind of things that we came here to do. In the meantime, however, I did want to give my thanks to our chairman, Senator Chafee, and our ranking member, Senator Baucus, for the work they have done to bring this bill to the floor. It is a bill that is not easy to manage, certainly, because it affects everyone. Everyone has a little different idea of what the formula distribution ought to be. I understand that. But they have, with the support of their committee, come to this floor with a bill that is, I think, a very good bill. It is one of the things that has changed America, this idea of having an Interstate Highway System.”