Max Baucus: “I say, with all respect to my very good friend and colleague, that language refers to just spending the money that must…”

“I say, with all respect to my very good friend and colleague, that language refers to just spending the money that must be spent under ISTEA. There is no language there which addresses a reallocation of additional dollars. I must very respectfully say to my good friend, the language he cited does not in any way purport to do what he likes to say it does. I just follow up by saying that what this comes down to is respect. We in the authorizing committee respect the job of the Appropriations Committee. They have a very difficult job. They do their work very well. I just hope the Appropriations Committee members will respect the work of the authorizing committee. As the Senator from Virginia pointed out, there is a reason that this is a 6-year bill, that every year we do not come back and try to pass a highway bill. It is because of the nature of the beast. Highway legislation requires long-term planning. It does not make sense for this body to start going down the road--no pun intended--of starting to rewrite the highway bill every year in the Transportation Appropriations Committee. That is just bad public policy. It is the wrong thing to do. I think every Member knows it is the wrong thing to do, if he or she just stops to think about it.”