Tom Coburn: “I will do this quickly. First of all, what is the definition of ``emergency'' by our own budget rules? Necessary…”

“I will do this quickly. First of all, what is the definition of ``emergency'' by our own budget rules? Necessary, essential, vital, suddenly, quickly coming into being, not building over time, urgent, pressing, compelling need, requiring immediate action, unforeseen, unpredictable, and unanticipated, not permanent, temporary in nature. That is the first point I would make. The second point is the committee's own report says: Even prior to Katrina, Presidents, business leaders and local and State officials seriously considered relocating the rail line from its present location to alleviate burgeoning traffic which continually worsened as the region's tourism industry grew. This is $700 million. It is a great project for Mississippi. I agree. It is probably something that should be done. The question is, Is it an emergency and should everybody else in this country pay for it? I could go into all the details. I will not do it in deference to the chairman's request that I be brief. But Mississippi people have spoken. This was planned long before this hurricane. The fact is, if we are going to replace this rail line with Federal money which is going to come in and build a new road, that is going to be susceptible to the same hurricane damage. We have to figure out how we should go through a regular process. The final point I would make is the committee report eliminates the ability of the Department of Transportation to say whether it is a safety issue.…”