[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 13 (Monday, February 23, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE HIGHWAY BILL

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I listened with interest to the 
presentation by Senator Byrd, the distinguished Senator from West 
Virginia, on the subject of the highway bill and his desire, and the 
desire of so many others in this Chamber, to see that the piece of 
legislation that authorizes spending on highways and roads, the 
building and repairing of our country's infrastructure, be brought to 
the floor of the Senate, be debated and go to conference so that we can 
get this bill done and tell the Governors and the other people in this 
country who are waiting for this Congress to do its work that we have 
finally finished the job. This is not some idle piece of legislation 
that either may or may not be enacted into law. The Congress has a 
responsibility to deal with the issues of this country's 
infrastructure, especially bridges and roads and safety on our 
highways, and all of those issues are in the body of this legislation.
  This legislation was supposed to have been enacted by this Congress 
last year. Now we are told by some that last year's business must wait 
until we have considered next year's budget. That is preposterous. We 
should bring that bill to the floor now. We were told it would be the 
first item of business on the Senate calendar when we reconvened in 
January. It was not. Today we will take up campaign finance reform. I 
am pleased that we are going to do that. But we should take up, 
expeditiously, the highway bill, debate it and pass it and get it to 
conference.
  The highway bill, investing in our country's infrastructure, is about 
jobs, economic expansion, retaining and creating a first-class 
transportation system. For a first-class economy to exist, it must have 
a first-class transportation system, and that is what this issue is 
about. Every day, people pull up to the gas pumps and put some gasoline 
in their automobiles. When they do so, they pay money, through a tax on 
every gallon of that gasoline, that goes into a trust fund that is to 
be used in the highway bill that we are required to authorize. The 
taxes are already paid. The question is, will we use that money to 
invest in this country's bridges and roads? Those who are driving 
around this country know there is plenty yet to do. There is a big job 
ahead of us, and the quicker we get this legislation out of the 
Congress the better for this country.
  So, I appreciate the Senator from West Virginia, the Senator from 
Montana, the Senator from Texas, Senator Gramm, and others who have 
repeatedly come to the floor of the Senate saying this is not a 
partisan issue, this is not about parties; this is about investment in 
our country and that we finish the work we didn't get done last year 
and bring this important piece of legislation to the floor and pass it 
as soon as possible.

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