Haley Stevens: “As the chairman of the Public Works Committee, Senator Chafee, points out in his statement, in July of last year they…”

“As the chairman of the Public Works Committee, Senator Chafee, points out in his statement, in July of last year they tried to correct this error from the Treasury Department. The Senator from Virginia, if he looks at the chart before the Senate, will see that if we make the changes solely requested by the Senator from Virginia, all donor states would end up with all zero growth from 1996 to 1997. All those zeros in the first column show the inequity of not doing the $475 million. Because the inequity, if we provide $318 million to one part of this package without the $475 million, would create a total inequity as far as all those States that have no growth in their allocation over 1996. I am referring to all those States that have zeros in the first column. If the Senator would look at it, he will see why we felt compelled, if we grant the President's request of $318 million, to provide the $475 million. No one argues about the $139 million even though it was not requested by the administration. I do not think there is an argument about the $139 million. It was a result of the Treasury error. To perpetuate the error is to grant the $318 million the President requested without adding the $475 million.”