Dale Bumpers: “to say that it is a complex issue is an understatement. I am not sure everybody on this floor fully understands what we…”

“to say that it is a complex issue is an understatement. I am not sure everybody on this floor fully understands what we are debating. But let me tell you what I do understand about it, and I welcome the comments of either of the managers or the author of the amendment. We appropriate trust funds 2 years after we receive them. For instance, whatever we took in in the trust fund in 1994 is actually allocated to the States in 1996. That is my understanding. As I say, I invite anybody to correct anything I say. I just want everyone to understand what we are talking about. So whatever the Treasury Department takes in in gasoline taxes, which is called the trust fund, in 1994, is allocated for use in 1996. So in 1994, apparently the Treasury Department made an error and took in $1.5 billion more than they said they were going to have, and rather than try to correct the error at the time it was made, they said, ``Well, we will just save this until next year. We'll put it in the 1995 allocation.'' Now, bear in mind that when you are allocating money in 1995, you are talking about money that the States are going to get in 1996, simply because we appropriate money a year in advance.”