Political Quotes

“drunk drivers are a menace to all of us. Last September, a car driven by an alcohol-impaired teenager went off the road near Montpelier, Vermont, killing teenagers Brian Redmond and Ryan Kitchen. This was a rare enough tragedy in Vermont that it sent the entire state into mourning. Nationwide, however, the story is far different. More than 40 percent of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related--more than 17,000 in 1996 alone. I am proud that Vermont is one of only 15 states that already has a .08 blood alcohol standard. Vermonters have a longstanding awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, and I advocated adoption of the toughest state drunk driving laws in the nation while serving as State's Attorney in Chittenden County. Today, Vermont has a state law which lowers the threshold for drivers under the age of 21 to .02 percent, one of the toughest laws in the nation. The amendment which we are considering will establish a .08 standard in all 50 states. If enacted, states will have three years to enact .08 laws, or they will have a portion of their highway construction funds withheld. With all due respect to the cosponsors of this amendment, I have reservations about this approach. I have always been a senator who believes that, whenever possible, Congress should respect each state's right to govern itself. I am uncomfortable when we in Washington say that we will penalize states financially when they do not behave as we see fit.”