Political Quotes

“the House passed AIR 21 by an overwhelming vote of 316 to 110. Then we went to conference with the Senate, and the Senate had several significant objections to the bill. For several months we negotiated in good faith. As a result of that negotiation, the very leaders of the Senate who were opposed when we went into the conference, and I refer specifically to the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Senator Stevens, the distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Budget, Senator Domenici, the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, Senator Shelby, the leaders in opposition as a result of our negotiating and compromising in good faith, have all become vigorous supporters of this legislation, and, indeed, cast their vote last week in the Senate for this legislation. Indeed, the vote in the Senate was an overwhelming 82 to 17. But we did have to compromise. We had to compromise, and, as Henry Clay said many years ago, compromise is honorable, because in compromise, while you always give up something, you get something in return. This legislation, with the overwhelming support it now has, does several things. First, we guarantee that the budget resources provided each year for the Aviation Trust Fund will equal this year's estimated receipts and interest. In other words, we unlock the Aviation Trust Fund, and, of course, without any tax increase.”