Brian Babin: “The funding and authorization for our Federal highway program expires in just 12 days. This is a deadline that Congress…”

“The funding and authorization for our Federal highway program expires in just 12 days. This is a deadline that Congress, the Department of Transportation, and the American people have known about for almost a year now. And the bill before us today is not the long-term solution that we were hoping for, but it is the necessary step forward at this time while we continue to work on a longer term solution for our highway funding. I appreciate very much the attention that Chairman Shuster has given to this important issue. He has taken a very keen interest in what we need on a national level, and many of us from the Houston area appreciate his coming to our part of America to learn and see what our needs are in the State of Texas. I am confident that the chairman and those of us on the relevant committees in the House and the Senate will come together and deliver a long-term solution for our highway programs and will strengthen them for every Texan and every American. While this bill before us isn't ideal, the choice is very simple. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on this bill to keep our State Department of Transportation on the job through the summer building months and to keep Congress working on a long-term solution. Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown).”