Highway funding

A battle appears to be brewing in Washington between Congress and the White House over how much money states truly need to fix the nation's highways, bridges and operate mass transit systems.

The Senate passed a $318 billion highway bill last week that would replace the existing funding program that ends this month. The Bush administration said it only wants to spend $256 billion on highways because the nation faces a record-setting deficit.

President Bush has even warned of a veto -- it would be the first of his administration -- if Congress spends too much.

But that hasn't stopped legislators, who believe the money is necessary to fix a decrepit transportation system. Missouri Sen. Kit Bond is a chief sponsor of the bill, and Missouri's other U.S. senator, Jim Talent, is an enthusiastic supporter.

Both senators believe that Missouri -- and plenty of other states -- need the money to fix roads and bridges that have fallen into sorry shape because of tight funding. And the federal dollars the states receive likely won't be enough for everything that's needed, the senators contend.

As Congress and the president try to work out an agreement, Missouri's highways, bridges and mass transit hang in the balance. Missouri could receive an additional $1.4 billion more than it currently gets under the new plan.

Under the Senate plan, every state would receive 95 cents for each dollar it pays into the trust fund financed by the federal gasoline tax. Currently, some states, like Missouri, only get 90 cents per dollar, while other states like Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska, receive more back in federal highway funds than they pay into the system.

The federal highway bill, which provides about 80 percent of state transportation funding, covers a six-year period.

But the House has yet to act on the bill, and some Missouri representatives think a presidential veto is possible. If Congress cannot learn to curb its spending and reach a compromise with the White House, then President Bush will have to decide if the time is appropriate to use his veto power. Supporters of the Senate's $318 billion highway bill may be right about the nation's highway needs, but they must take into account the country's ability to pay for everything it wants.