Mike Levin: “I thank my friends from Montana and Virginia for their support in our effort to get this information and, indeed, for…”

“I thank my friends from Montana and Virginia for their support in our effort to get this information and, indeed, for their long, hard efforts to try to bring a conclusion to this effort to come up with a fair highway bill. The problem is, as the Chair and others know, there are some States that have not been treated equitably and fairly, at least in our eyes, over the decades. First, the Senator from Texas correctly says we have a National Highway System. And that is true. I do not think it would be possible to build an interstate across Montana if Montana only got back the amount of money in gas tax for the building of that interstate that was sent to Washington by folks buying gas in Montana. I have no doubt of the truth of that comment. I have been to Montana. I have been on those interstates. I understand that. I appreciate that. Indeed, I would support that if this were coming up for funding in the 1950s. But that does not explain why a whole bunch of other States that are not in that situation get back a $1.20, $1.40, $1.60, $1.80, $2 for every dollar they send.”