I am hopeful that it will serve as the beginning of a very serious commitment on the part of this committee to recommend an intelligent and informed course of action on the issue of addressing climate change to the full Senate.

In this regard, I continue to have concerns with EPA's evaluation of legislation that was recently passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

I hope that these hearings continue to inform us about the policies that may be implemented to address global climate change.

But the most important thing is that we have actual legislative language to work with and have the time necessary to have our concerns addressed in the committee.

From a psychological point of view, right now we have got to get people to believe that the glass is half full and things are going to get better.

I think that whole concept, from a psychological point of view, is going to have a very, very negative impact on everybody.

There is a man over on the House side named Jim Oberstar that has had over 50 hearings and spent over 2 years on this.

What the Country needs is to know that within the next 5-year period we are going to make a comprehensive commitment to the infrastructure.

We do not have to have an emergency spending. We do not have to borrow the money. We are going to pay for it.

The way to get the job done is to pass a bill now. Urgent. Get it done.

I would like you to comment on the 2005 SAFETEA-LU piece of legislation and the fact that, because of the cost of gas, oil and steel, how that 285 has, in terms of today's dollars, evaporated in terms of what it buys.

I was a mayor. I was a Governor. I have supported tax increases.