Reid Ribble: “I appreciate the gentleman from Massachusetts' comments, although my amendment doesn't address truck size whatsoever. My…”

“I appreciate the gentleman from Massachusetts' comments, although my amendment doesn't address truck size whatsoever. My amendment doesn't include any change in configuration to the truck size. It does take existing truck sizes, and it requires the additional axle to that. I also find it a tad bit striking that someone from Massachusetts would be challenging a 91,000-pound truck weight when their own State allows 99,000 pounds on State roads and county roads in certain types of trucks. What I am trying to do, rather than having those trucks driving on a two-lane highway, is to get them on a separated highway where everyone is moving in the same direction and moving them off of the smaller roads. I also would like to talk about the policy recommendations. What the gentleman from Massachusetts just referred to was a cover letter on the study, but not the study itself. I am referring to the actual study. The scientists that actually did the study came to the conclusions that I mentioned before. I'm not speaking of a political cover letter by the administration who opposes this. If we want to talk about agencies and organizations that support my amendment, there are over 80 of those. We could go on and on, but time does not allow. I would emphasize once again that my amendment is compliant with the Federal Bridge Formula.…”