Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to instruct conferees offered by Mr. Flake, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. This motion directs the transportation reauthorization conferees to agree to a provision contained in the Senate bill increasing the guaranteed minimum percentage rate of return that each State receives in Federal aid highway formula funding from 92 percent to 95 percent of payments in the highway trust fund collected through gas tax contributions in that State. This is the same old donor/donee argument that we've been having for years, but it is becoming even more ridiculous now that all States are, in effect, donee States. Frankly, I'm not quite sure what the realistic impact of a 95 percent minimum guarantee would be at this point. For several years, general fund revenue has been filling the gap between what the highway trust fund can support and current funding levels, so now every State gets back more from the program than the amount of gas taxes collected in that State. In effect, every State is a donee State. In fact, under SAFETEA-LU, under the current formula which guarantees 92 percent, Mr. Flake mentioned Texas. Texas gets back $1.03 for every dollar it puts in. California, $1.19 for every dollar it puts in. There is no State that gets back less than a dollar for a dollar. So increasing the guarantee from 92 to 95 percent, frankly, I don't understand the point of it.…”