Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Thursday, May 6, 2004

WASHINGTON In a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Kit Bond today blasted Minority Leader Tom Daschle and Senate Democrats for blocking action on the transportation bill and holding jobs and highway safety hostage to petty partisan politics.

"I can't speak for Democrats as to why they would be willing to kill this bill," said Bond. "But they must be banking on the cynical notion that either the American people will not understand, or that they will just blame Republicans, even though it is Democrats who are currently undertaking to kill this legislation. Unless they let the process go forward, this bill is dead and they will have killed it.

"Right now, jobs and the safety of our roads are taking a back seat to political warfare that has nothing to do with transportation. It's time for Democrats to end the filibuster on the highway bill."

Bond, who as Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee is jointly responsible for the bill's re-authorization, has grown increasingly frustrated with Senate Democrats' ongoing delay of the bill. The Senate transportation bill passed eleven weeks ago and Senate Democrats continue to hold up the appointment of Senate conferees.

Bond said Missouri will receive about $1.4 billion in new transportation dollars under the $318 billion senate bill. The Department of Transportation estimates that every $1 billion in new federal investment creates 47,500 plus jobs.

"These funds will support the much-needed economic basis for job growth and safety that Missouri and the nation currently needs," said Bond.

Last Friday, Bond traveled to Kansas City where union officials and road builders and community leaders presented the senator a two-foot tall stack of 43,000 signatures urging Congress to pass a highway bill.