Bill Shuster: “Mr. Chairman, I would respond to the distinguished gentleman, it is very true, if you go back in history, there was…”

“Mr. Chairman, I would respond to the distinguished gentleman, it is very true, if you go back in history, there was substantial general fund money spent on highways and other transportation projects. CDBG grants were spent, revenue sharing was spent. All of this is true, back in history. It also, interestingly, indicates how important transportation is to local communities. Nevertheless, nobody disputes that. But Mr. Chairman, facts are stubborn things. Does anybody in this body dispute the cold, hard fact that there is over $30 billion in the transportation trust funds today? Nobody disputes it. It is a fact. That is the balance in the trust fund. We should spend that money in a rational, careful way.”