Supporting the goals and ideals of Veterans of Foreign Wars Day.

I thank the gentleman for the time and his leadership on this issue and Mr. Neal, the Chair of the subcommittee, who spent a great amount of time in hearings last month and this month on the current status and future of the Highway Trust Fund.

I would just like to underscore, in response to the gentleman from Michigan, we share the pain of the drop in VMT on the miles traveled throughout the Nation and the consequent loss of revenue in the Highway Trust Fund. It started in 2007, and by 2008 we had registered, for the first time in the history of the Highway Trust Fund and the interstate highway program, a drop of

60 billion vehicle miles traveled. That had never happened before in the history of the Highway Trust Fund because of the condition of the national economy.

We are beginning to recover. We're beginning to see the statistics going in the right direction. VMT, reported by the Department of Transportation on a monthly basis, shows increases in January, February, March, April, and May. And all of the indicators, the rural interstate, the rural arterial, rural NHS, National Highway System rose, the urban interstate. All are a percentage, a small percentage, but percentage increases over the months a year ago.

There are two indicators that are down. Urban arterial and various urban roads are down about a half percent and 1.3 percent, respectively. The trend is in the right direction. I regret, too, that we have to take this step. We should have spent this week passing the committee's bill for the future of surface transportation. We do have a bipartisan product.

And I welcome the support of the gentleman from Michigan for that initiative. It will address the long-term future, the 6-year future of transportation. It will totally transform the Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, make it easier to move projects into operation, and much more that is in our 775-page bill. We will do that in September.

This is an infusion, not an extension. We are not standing for the wish of the other body or of the administration for an extension of time. We're not going to let that happen. This committee has done and will continue to do its work in a partnership within our committee. And I hope the bill comes to the floor within the entire body.

Meanwhile, this $7 billion infusion will carry the trust fund through the end of the fiscal year and into October against any unforeseen drop in VMT or loss in revenue into the trust fund. I think the trends are all in the right direction and that we are not going to be losing revenue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3357, to restore sums to the Highway Trust Fund.

This legislation, introduced by Chairman Rangel, Chairman Obey, and me, includes a provision restoring $7 billion to the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund to ensure that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) can meet its existing commitments under the Federal-aid Highway program.

According to DOT, the Highway Account of the Trust Fund may run out of cash as early as the beginning of September and may not have enough funding to fully reimburse States for their Federal highway investments.

This situation makes clear that we have reached the logical conclusion of the course set by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Unfortunately, the legacy that has been left for users is an over- extended Trust Fund, uncertainty, and potential funding cuts.

SAFETEA-LU intentionally put the Highway Trust Fund on the path to a zero cash balance. Recent declines in vehicle miles traveled due to high fuel prices and the weak economy have merely exacerbated a pre- existing imbalance between Trust Fund revenues and expenditures that was created by SAFETEA-LU.

The previous administration's unwillingness to make hard choices has left the 111th Congress, and particularly the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with the unenviable task of finding a way to finance the existing program level, in addition to much-needed increases in investment.

Since taking office, the Obama administration has implemented a system to closely track actual Trust Fund revenues, outlays, and balances, and has been communicating with Congress the need to take steps to address this situation before we reach the crisis point.

According to DOT, by September 4, the Highway Account will not have sufficient funds to fully reimburse States for highway projects (-$285 million), and DOT will immediately begin rationing reimbursements to States, creating cash flow problems for States and significant uncertainty for the future of the program.

By October 1, DOT estimates that, without action by Congress, the Highway Account balance will be -$1.9 billion.

However, this shortfall amount is only an estimate and the estimate is subject to a series of revenue and outlay adjustments that occur in August and September that could cause negative adjustments to the Trust Fund balance, including: the ``true-up'' of the account in which the Trust Fund will have to reimburse the General Fund if previous payments of estimated fuel taxes into the Trust Fund are greater than the taxes actually owed; the annual mid-session review of the President's Budget which updates economic assumptions and can affect vehicle miles travelled estimates; the receipt of actual revenues and outlays that differ from DOT's current estimates; and the need to maintain a minimum balance in the Trust Fund to continue daily reimbursements for the States.

In fact, last August, reconciling Trust Fund revenue receipts with prior revenue projections caused a downward adjustment in the Trust Fund balance of -$3.2 billion.

While such a dramatic swing in Trust Fund revenues is unlikely under the procedures adopted by the current administration, restoring $7 billion to the Highway Account of the Trust Fund will cover the projected shortfall and provide a cash balance to offset any additional shortfall if the DOT estimates are in error.

Failure to act will mean that the Federal Government will be unable to pay all of the bills submitted by the States for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. If that were to occur, under current law, the Federal Government will be required to pay interest on unpaid bills.

In addition, many states would begin to experience immediate cash flow problems if they are not fully reimbursed for Federal-aid highway projects.

We must enact this critical legislation this week to avoid slowdowns or reductions in infrastructure investment, and the loss of any more American construction jobs.

Both the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation have determined that this proposal does not constitute a spending outlay, would not violate pay-go, and will have no revenue effect.

Enactment of this legislation will ensure full funding of the highway investment levels authorized by current law, and prevent devastating slowdowns or cuts in each state's Federal highway funds.

While H.R. 3357 is a short-term solution, it is essential that we resolve this immediate crisis. As we proceed with consideration of the ``Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009'', we will continue to work with the Committee on Ways and Means to develop a sustainable financing proposal to address the future of surface transportation.

I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the distinguished Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, for his leadership in ensuring that these funds are provided to sustain the Highway Trust Fund.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3357.

Thank you for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment my colleague on the committee, Mr. Mica, for the splendid partnership we have had personally and staff-to- staff in crafting this bill, and the gentleman has stated the case right on. And were it not for the intrusion of the administration, we would be on the floor this week with that 6-year authorization. And I thank the gentleman for that splendid partnership that we have had.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. CAMP asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Last week, we appropriated an unlimited amount of general funds to the unemployment trust funds throughout fiscal year 2010, which starts in October, and today we're doing the same thing for the last 2 months of this year, ensuring these funds don't run out while Congress is on district work period. Both actions are needed because the Democrats' economic policy has resulted in record job loss, record deficits, and none of the job creation they promised.

Democrats predicted unemployment would top out at 8 percent if the stimulus passed; instead, it's 9.5 percent and rising. In Michigan, it's above 15 percent. There are now a record 9.2 million collecting unemployment checks instead of paychecks. That's 1.1 million more than when the stimulus was passed. So if the stimulus is stimulating anything, it's record unemployment, not jobs.

Where are the jobs? Americans can surely see the record unemployment, but they cannot see where the jobs are. That's because millions of jobs are disappearing, not being created. What's more, since President Obama was sworn in, the Nation's public debt and unemployment, combined, has risen by a shocking 40 percent. And that's before literally trillions of dollars in additional spending under the Democrats' stimulus, energy, and health plans, and whatever higher unemployment lies ahead.

This bill reflects the continued failure of Democratic economic policy to save or create millions of jobs they promised that would flow quickly from their stimulus bill. More unemployment benefits instead of paychecks have led directly to more State insolvency and more Federal loans to those insolvent States. And that has drained the Federal bailout funds so much, it now needs its own bailout. That's what this bill does.

We had a choice when it came to the stimulus last February. We could have chosen a better policy of stimulating private-sector growth creating twice the jobs at half the price. That was the Republican plan. Instead, Democrats insisted on their government focus plan, which has produced no jobs and a mountain of debt. Today, in my view, we don't really have a choice but to support this bill; otherwise, in the next 2 months, laid-off workers will not get the unemployment benefits they were promised. American workers should not be forced to pay for the mistakes and failures of the Democrats' so-called stimulus bill. So this bill is necessary.

But in the longer run, we need to work together to create jobs so Americans can receive more paychecks, not more unemployment checks.

I would also note, Mr. Speaker, that this bill provides an emergency transfer of $7 billion in the general fund revenue to prop up the Highway Trust Fund for the reminder of this fiscal year. This is not the first time Congress has had to fill a year-end shortfall in the trust fund to ensure that State highway projects can go forward. And unless we get serious about enacting long-term structural reforms as we move ahead with the next reauthorization bill, it surely won't be the last bill, either.

I don't think anyone in this Chamber thinks that yet another short- term general fund transfer is the ideal solution to these chronic shortfalls, and I certainly hope that going forward, the majority focuses its attention on long-term structural reforms and not just on higher and higher spending levels.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham).

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I would just say that the Obama administration famously predicted that its so-called stimulus plan would save or create 3.5 million jobs. The gentleman referred to millions of jobs being created repairing our infrastructure. However, the unemployment rate is now at 9.5 percent, well above the 8 percent the administration projected if the stimulus passed. That means 2.5 million more Americans are unemployed than the President promised. So not only have no jobs been created in the private sector, in just 4 months, 2 million private sector jobs have been destroyed. Meanwhile, jobs in government have grown slightly, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At this time, I reserve the balance of my time.

I will say that we have no further speakers, and I believe the gentleman has the right to close.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on my side, so I will yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3357) to restore sums to the Highway Trust Fund and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill H.R. 3357, as amended.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, transportation is one of the most important issues in our country, so I am proud to have served on both the Ways and Means Committee and on what was then the Public Works and Transportation Committee.

I would like to thank Chairman Rangel and Chairman Oberstar for their leadership on this important issue.

The bipartisan bill before the House today will provide the necessary funds to keep important transportation projects operating in States around the country. As we all know, the Highway Trust Fund will run out of funding by September. We must act, and we must act now.

In 1998, Congress passed a highway bill that took more than $8 billion out of the trust fund and put it in the Treasury. In addition, Congress stopped the Highway Trust Fund from earning interest on its investment. If these steps had not been taken, the balance in the Highway Trust Fund would be nearly $20 billion more than it is now.

Last year we transferred $8 billion back, and the legislation we are considering today would transfer $7 billion more.

I want to be clear, Mr. Speaker. No new money is spent under this bill. This bill should keep the Highway Trust Fund fully funded until 2009. If we fail to act today, our people, our States, and our economy will be harmed. In Georgia, where unemployment is already above 10 percent, we cannot afford to lose another 8,500 jobs because of failure to act.

Last year, all sides understood how critical highway funding is to our economy. I hope the legislation we are considering today will enjoy similar bipartisan support. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this important legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota, the Chair of the Transportation Committee, Mr. Oberstar.

I yield the gentleman another 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington, the Chair of the Income Security Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman McDermott.

(Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), the Chair of the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, who long has been active in highways, waterways and many environmental efforts.

I am pleased to yield to the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon, Congressman DeFazio, the Chair of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the Transportation Committee.

Mr. Speaker, may inquire about how much time I have left?

I thank the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, having one speaker remaining, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts, Congressman Olver from the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I fully support H.R. 3357. In the future, the Ways and Means Committee will need to look at different funding proposals and administrative changes to keep the Highway Trust Fund running for the long term. Today we need to make sure it doesn't run out of money. This very simple bill does not cost a single dollar, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, if there was ever a time when the American public needed to pay close attention to the spending decisions being made in Congress, it is now.

It's ironic that in the week following the adoption of so-called ``Pay-Go Rules,'' the House would be debating a measure to set aside more than $14 billion--without offsets--to pay for two so-called trust funds that have run dry. ``Pay as we Go'' has been replaced with ``Spend as we Borrow.''

Today, the House will vote to borrow another $7 billion--that's $7 billion--out of the general fund to replenish the Highway Trust Fund which has become insolvent as a result of high gas prices and the sluggish economy. By this time next month, without a congressional bailout, the so-called Highway Trust Fund will be unable to reimburse states for their highway investments. It was only last year that Congress set aside $8 billion from the general fund to keep the highway fund solvent.

Clearly, this band-aid approach to fixing this re-occurring problem is not working. One more time, the House is voting to bail out another sector of the economy with money it does not have. This is on the heels of the bank bailout. It's on the heels of the so-called ``Recovery Act'' which has succeeded in spending billions but has thus far failed to create jobs. It's on the heels of the bailout of automakers in Detroit. And it follows another year of astronomical spending increases for every major government program run out of Washington, DC.

It was only last month that our former colleague, and the present Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, testified before the House Transportation Appropriations Committee. ``I want to assure you that we will soon have a plan to address the potential Trust Fund shortfall this summer,'' he said. ``We believe very strongly that any Trust fund fix must be paid for.''

An effort was made by the THUD-Appropriations Ranking Member, Tom Latham of Iowa, to pay for a solution to the Highway Trust Fund shortfall. But, because my friend Mr. Latham is a Republican, his amendment was rejected on a party-line vote in the full Appropriations Committee. In a sign of just how desperate the majority party in the House has become, Mr. Latham wasn't even allowed to offer his amendment during consideration of the transportation funding bill last week.

If the bailout of the Highway Trust Fund wasn't enough, Congress is also being called upon to replenish both the Unemployment Trust Fund and increase the limits for two mortgage lending programs under HUD. In the case of the unemployment trust fund, states have been hit with a double whammy of a halting economy and job losses causing more and more people to line up for unemployment benefits.

Over $400 million was appropriated through the so-called Recovery Act to address this shortfall but those funds have now been depleted. And, to this point, the authorizing committees have failed to take any action to help those presently receiving benefits or newly unemployed.

Mr. Speaker, with each passing day it's becoming increasingly clear that the public is growing ever more wary about the reliance of this Congress on government spending as a solution to every problem facing our country.

As the Congress spends trillions on bailouts and borrowing--and our record national deficit increases by the day--the President's response thus far has been almost laughable. Yesterday, with much fan fare, the White House proposed saving taxpayers money by double-sided copying of government documents and eliminating unused government e-mail accounts and phone lines. These examples hardly qualify as profiles in courage.

The President and this majority leadership have promised fiscal discipline and a return to economic prosperity. And yet, the record thus far shows nothing but one bailout after another and rising levels of government spending as far as the eye can see.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Lewis for bringing this legislation to the floor. I am in full support of this proposal, and I want to speak additionally in support of the transfer of the Highway Trust Fund as it appears before us.

None of us would like to see pink slips issued around the country at vital road and bridge building projects, including about 4,000 jobs in Massachusetts. We are doing our best to create more of these jobs, not to end the current ones.

Last week, my subcommittee, the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, held a 4-hour, four-panel hearing on long-term financing options for the Highway Trust Fund. The consistent statement we heard was that States are desperate for funding.

We heard that roads and bridges are deteriorating at such a pace that current funding will not cover the maintenance, let alone the improvements that are needed. That is why our colleague, Mr. Oberstar, has pushed for a short-term patch while we continue to sort out the longer-term solutions for our transportation infrastructure. I am in support of the Oberstar position.

I understand the hesitance of some our colleagues to talk about increasing fund revenues in this economy. I want to assure you, they will be at every groundbreaking and they will be at every ribbon cutting, even though they question the financing we propose down the road.

But the reality of this situation is simple: we need to pay for these repairs. There were a variety of proposals discussed at our hearing, last week, good ones, by Republicans and Democrats. Good options were offered: tolls, vehicle miles traveled, excise taxes, the gas and diesel tax, among other ideas.

I want to say of interest, the United States Chamber of Commerce last week proposed a 10 cent increase in the gasoline tax for many of these long-term needs. I think that in and of itself speaks to the bipartisan nature of what we are trying to do now, and I hope in about another month a long-term proposal as well.

Now, whether these proposals are through triggers, indexing or commissions, we need to start working on the long-term plan in whatever politically feasible way we can find a way forward. Kicking the can down the road on infrastructure needs will not work. Our

highways, our roadways, our airports, our bridges and our railroads are all in need of an infusion of public support. We all ought to be able to agree on that basic responsibility as Members of this House.

As one witness told us last week, the costs of delaying the longer- term bill are higher than the costs to pass it. A reminder as well, there is an opportunity in this atmosphere with the downturn to get some great pricing, and we should take advantage of that as well.

So I want to urge support of this proposal today, and I hope it takes us on to a longer-term solution.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I understand the desire of an individual or individuals to be professional scolds on any and every issue that comes to this floor. But the obligation that we have today is far greater than the examples that he cited.

To argue that we ought to hold up a Federal highway bill that benefits this entire Nation because of a handful of initiatives he doesn't like, the truth is he won't vote for the final bill anyway, and time and again we have rejected the proposals that he has come forward with, largely because there was a process and procedure for vetting these differences. And when we buy into the end-game solution, that is part of our responsibility as Members of Congress.

Let me close quickly on this note. One of the reasons that our highway system is the envy of the world is because we have not given in to the temptation to fall easy prey to demagoguery that surrounds some of these proposals. Scolding is one thing. Offering positive suggestions is quite another.