Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This motion is simple: it simply ensures that the minimum rate of return for any State under any new highway reauthorization is 95 percent. As I'm sure everyone is aware, every gallon of gas sold in your State provides money to the highway trust fund via the Federal gas tax. Trust fund money is then dispersed back to the States using very complex mathematical formulas that are determined with each surface transportation reauthorization. A reoccurring issue is the debate surrounding Federal transportation policy. It's been the historic disparity by which a number of States have received less back in funding than they have invested in the highway trust fund through the gas tax. For years, these donor States have fought for more equity and a higher minimum rate of return to ensure that they recoup as large a slice of their own gas tax dollars as possible. This motion would increase the minimum rate of return to 95 percent, as passed in the Senate-MAP 21 bill. With the influx of general fund moneys to backfill the highway trust fund over the past couple of years, this donor/donee State issue has been a bit blurred, but the issue going forward can't be ignored. This is not a partisan issue, I should mention. It's simply an issue of fairness. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this motion and just tell the conferees to not agree to anything that gives States less than 95 cents on the dollar for what they pay in.…”