Political Quotes

“H.R. 2516 is an extension of the current ISTEA programs for the 6-month period October 1, 1997, through March 31, 1998. The bill provides one-half of the funding allocation for surface transportation programs in the fiscal year 1998 budget resolution and authorizes those programs for 6 months of the fiscal year. The bill is intended to fully comply with the budget resolution. For the Highway Program, H.R. 2516 apportions these funds to the States according to the fiscal year 1997 final funding percentages in ISTEA. The bill then directs that the funds distributed to each State be divided between the existing ISTEA Program categories in the same proportion as 1997. Choosing the 1997 funding distribution while maintaining the fiscal year 1997 proportional ISTEA Program distribution is a balanced approach which will help ensure that States can continue to fund projects. For donor States that are concerned about extending the ISTEA formulas, fiscal year 1997 was the most favorable funding year in ISTEA for donor States because of the 90 percent of payments program.”