Jeff Bingaman: “let me point out the general framework of this discussion as I understand it. The administration, in the supplemental…”

“let me point out the general framework of this discussion as I understand it. The administration, in the supplemental request that they sent to Congress, suggested that we needed to add $318 million in order to essentially continue a windfall that had been in the previous law to various States under the highway funding formula. There was 24 States. And this was what I would refer to as the 1997 fix. For fiscal year 1997, we were saying, essentially the administration was saying, look, these States expected to get more than they really should have been getting, but we will give them this $318 million to divide among these 24 States. Then, in the supplemental, we first saw a proposal to add some additional money for 10 other States, and that was added by the subcommittee chairman in the Appropriations Committee, not for fiscal year 1997 but for fiscal year 1996, and he was saying, OK, you have made good to these States for this windfall that was represented to them for 1997; what about for 1996? They ought to get the money they expected in 1996 as well, and he added money for that. Now, the Appropriations Committee has come along and said, what we are going to do, if all this windfall money is going out to these 24 States--and, clearly, that is what is happening here, and I am not opposed to that, but they are saying if all that money is going out to these windfall States, let us at least hold harmless the rest of the States.…”