Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (Senate - September 11, 2007)

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I first thank this body for its amazing response when the bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. Senator Coleman and I went there immediately the morning after the bridge collapsed on August 1 and saw firsthand what happened. I came back and reported the bravery of our citizens, the emergency responders immediately diving in, people who were off duty coming to the scene, ordinary citizens running in saving people among shards of steel, among rebar, diving in, risking their own lives. There was a miracle schoolbus there where little kids could have died. But one man, who didn't even know those kids, opened the door and let them out. This is what happened in Minnesota that day. Then we returned to this body and worked with our fellow Senators. Not one Senator objected to the idea that when a Federal bridge falls in the middle of America, we must rebuild it. When a Federal highway overpass falls in the middle of America, we must rebuild it.

At that time, when we only had 60 hours to get the authorization for the $250 million that we requested to rebuild that bridge, we were told to wait until the dust settled to figure out the details of the appropriation. That seemed like a good idea.

The dust has settled. We have learned in our State and in our community that 13 people died in that tragedy, ordinary people coming home, going to work, people such as Patrick Holmes, who was driving home to his young wife Jennifer and their two children; people such as Sadiya Sahal, a pregnant nursing student, and her 2-year-old daughter Hannah, who were headed to a relative's home when the bridge crumbled beneath them. Many people were injured. Many people died. That is what happened when the dust settled.

We now have a gaping hole in a major bridge in the middle of Minneapolis-St. Paul, a major metropolitan area. Any of our Members, or anyone who is listening today, would think about major metropolitan areas in their States, if there was suddenly a gaping hole. The bridge basically buckled into the Mississippi River. It is eight blocks from my home, so I see it every day. It is costing an estimated $400,000 a day in lost business, lost time. There are a number of other bridges, but they are very small. Traffic has built up.

The emergency response from the Federal Government has been strong. The response from the State has been strong. Within 12 hours after this tragedy, billboards were up about emergency bus service. People responded in the right way, including the Senate and Congress. But on that day, 60 hours after this happened, a promise was made that we would rebuild that bridge. I appreciated the amendment to build bridges and to help repair bridges across this country. I supported it, as did my colleague, Senator Coleman. But we knew this was not the money that had been allocated to fix our bridge in Minnesota.

Oftentimes when these tragedies happen, it does lead to help across the country. When we realized that levees needed to be looked at, when we realized that flood control systems needed to be built after the Grand Forks flood--a lot of things happen that help other people in the country, but we always first help the people where the tragedy occurs. That is what our amendment--Senator Coleman is a cosponsor--is about, to make sure we fund the bridge repair, that we fix the bridge.

A bridge in the middle of America just doesn't fall down. We will get to the bottom of what happened. But when it does fall down, we rebuild it. We fix it.

I thank the Senate for its consideration.

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, may I ask the Senator from Minnesota a couple questions? Obviously, we are all concerned about this collapse. We know the burden. We want to make sure we provide responsible help that is necessary. Senator Coleman has indicated he wants to speak on the amendment.

I would like to know, No. 1, if this includes transit funding in that $195 million. Is it emergency highway funds, emergency bridge funds, or is it just designated as an emergency that does not come out of any of the existing highway or bridge funds?

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. It is my understanding that it is emergency funds. We did get some transit money designated early on. The Secretary of Transportation has been very good in working with us. I believe we have received about $55 million of the $250 million. That is why this amendment asks for the remaining $195 million to be appropriated. We will work with the Senator's staff on the details. We want to make sure we cross all the t's and dot our i's. But we cannot continue to let this interstate be a gaping hole in the middle of a metropolitan area, when it is clearly the intent of Congress to fund and authorize the money. We are simply trying to receive the rest of the funding that could be immediately given to us by the Department of Transportation.

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I appreciate that. We need to work with DOT to make sure we have the details worked out. I appreciate the Senator agreeing to work with us so we can. Senator Coleman wants to be added as a cosponsor. We may get further information as we go to conference, but we will try to get this resolved today.

If the Senator would add Senator Coleman, I would appreciate that.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Senator Coleman is an original cosponsor of the original amendment. We made some modifications after speaking with Senator Bond and, of course, he would be included in this one as well. I also thank Senator Murray for the work she did immediately after this disaster, sending a staff member out to observe the bridge and work with us on getting immediate funding.

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