William C. Baker: “this is not a question of protecting pork in highway infrastructure bills. This is a question of protecting the highway…”

“this is not a question of protecting pork in highway infrastructure bills. This is a question of protecting the highway fund, paid for by motorists into a trust fund which cannot be overspent and which is earmarked for highway and rail projects. At last accounting, the highway trust fund had involuntarily loaned to the general fund $13 billion for cash flow for that $210 billion deficit this year. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, the purpose of the line-item veto, bringing deficit spending in line, does not exist in the highway trust funds which are already in line. Indeed, both the Bush budget debacle of 1990 and the Clinton tax increase of 1993 robbed the gas taxpayers of over an additional $6.5 billion a year, which will not build rail or road projects, which was, rather, sent to the Bermuda Triangle known as the general fund budget balancing act. No more transportation funds to the general fund. Vote no on this amendment.”