I just find it curious that it is a different way.

It is in the pipeline already; is that--am I understanding that right?

So can I challenge you on that, Mr. Secretary?

So, having met with the exact same folks several times, one of those businesses--one job for them is a $500 million manufacturing job.

this is an incredibly important issue for my biggest county.

So you did not ask for what you are expecting the expenditures to be; you asked for an amount hoping that also there is an addition of the sequestration?

obviously you all have not drilled down into whether this even pencils.

I have got to call you on that one because the budget was almost two months late.

There are ramifications.

I guess they have already redesigned the project a couple of times without you all requiring them to start over.

these people just in November voted down the local matching tax.

we don't want to have to pay off their debts.

You cannot just start in the middle of something like this significant and then, oh, we ran out of money.

you would be flexible and balanced and willing to help change this into--add bus rapid transit.

Congresswoman Beutler's Thurston County took away vouchers from 26 families and has to reduce overall leasing by about 150 units.

And for you to say that there are previous working groups that we are beholden to, not the American taxpayer, that baffles me.

I agree with you that the real implications of short funding a contract are going to cause good partners to get out.

This project has been redesigned two times in the last 3 years. Completely redesigned.

Well, guess what? I am one of those now. And the folks in my region are saying we need to do better with their money.

So the New Starts, so there was special legislation that allowed the New Starts grant to provide more than the 50 percent match?

I know that we sent to the Coast Guard--the Members of Congress who live up the river in the different districts, sent a letter in saying just that, because there are public ports that go up beyond us.

Well, not--my community recently voted down funding for it.

We want you to invest and make this safer. We believe that is your responsibility.

So wouldn't you say, at a time like this, across the Nation, when we are struggling, we know you don't have all the resources you need. We know that. Everybody is hurting.

I urge the Committee to support this bill, and I ask that you help us preserve the treasures of Fort Vancouver.