Nick Rahall: “I rise today to quote the words of President Dwight Eisenhower, the father of our, Highway Trust Fund, who rightly said…”

“I rise today to quote the words of President Dwight Eisenhower, the father of our, Highway Trust Fund, who rightly said ``A network of modern roads is as necessary to defense as it is to our national economy and personal safety.'' President Eisenhower's words ring as true now as they did then. Traditionally, the Transportation bill has been free from partisan differences. We have an old saying on the Transportation Committee, ``There are no Republican bridges, no Democratic bridges, just America's bridges.'' Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, this year, the bill has fallen victim to political differences--within the divided Republican Party. Even though we've had enough support to pass the bill since last year, the divided Republican Party has held up passage of this bill for months. The President opposes Congressional Republicans from both the House and the Senate. House Republicans are divided against each other. The President has even gone against his own Department of Transportation.”