Max Baucus: “I think it is very clear. The point of this is we transferred 4.3 cents to the highway trust fund. Those are dollars…”

“I think it is very clear. The point of this is we transferred 4.3 cents to the highway trust fund. Those are dollars that Americans expect to be used for highways. And I think the Senator is correct in saying there is a very strong presumption that that contract authority will be spent someday. The Budget Committee and the Appropriations Committee along with the rest of Congress will decide if the contract authority will be spent. But that is only if economic savings are realized. But the beauty of the amendment is if for some reason it does not make sense next year to increase transportation spending, they still have that discretion. That is the beauty of it. So, in answer to the Senator, it is very clear. It could not be more clear. Yes, there is a very strong presumption because the amendment says it should be spent. But it does not say it must be spent. It does not mandate that. But I personally feel it should be spent. The cosponsors of this amendment very strongly believe that those dollars should be spent. But, still, we can't totally predict the future. I can't. I don't think anybody in this body can. So next year if for some reason the Budget Committee and Congress decides it wants to make some other decision, it can. And the Senator knows, under the terms of this amendment, the Budget Committee can. But the Senator also is correct in saying there is a strong presumption under this amendment that this money should be spent on highways if the savings are realized.”