[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 24, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H5867]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2008

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Flake) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FLAKE. Madam Speaker, today, the House will take up an extension 
of the Federal Aviation Administration's authorization. Unfortunately, 
this bill is more than it seems. It contains an $8 billion bailout for 
the Highway Trust Fund. Now, for years, we've known that the Highway 
Trust Fund didn't have sufficient money, that it was losing its 
purchasing power. In fact, that was a concern going into the 2005 
highway bill reauthorization. But what did we do?
  We not only took no action to shore it up or to do things 
differently; we approved more than three times as many earmarks as 
there were in the last highway reauthorization. So now, here we are 3 
years later, about a year before our next reauthorization, and we're 
out of money to cover the projects that we've authorized.
  Now, I would submit that the action contained in this bill is the 
most irresponsible thing we can do. We're transferring $8 billion from 
the general fund into the Highway Trust Fund. As we've known, as we've 
seen, when Members have the ability to earmark funds from an account, 
they do so. We did so to the tune of tens of billions of dollars in the 
highway authorization bill the last time, including the bridge to 
nowhere and 6,300 other earmarks. If we move additional moneys from the 
general fund into the Highway Trust Fund, then Katy bar the door when 
it comes to spending. We simply cannot keep a lid on it.
  I'm just wondering: When are we going to take up the tough choices? 
It seems like every time we come to a point when we simply don't have 
money in the account we simply increase the deficit more and more. 
We're finding the easy way out. There are options available to us. I 
will offer amendments wherever I can to take money from the earmarks 
that haven't been spent, money that we know is not priority spending, 
and shore up the Highway Trust Fund so that we don't have to move 
general fund moneys into this account. We simply can't do that. We 
can't start the process of taking general fund moneys and shoring up 
the Highway Trust Fund when we know that we can't control our spending 
appetite when it comes to earmarks. I urge my colleagues to oppose this 
irresponsible bailout.
  Another thing that is objectionable: We're doing this on the 
suspension calendar. That's my understanding today. The suspension 
calendar is meant as a vehicle to name post offices or to honor sports 
teams or to do things that are noncontroversial. Yet here we're 
transferring $8 billion from the general fund to bail out the Highway 
Trust Fund. Under rules of suspension, that simply doesn't seem right. 
That is not responsible legislating. It wouldn't be responsible if 
Republicans did it in the majority. It's not responsible when Democrats 
do it.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose it. Let's find time to actually take a 
stand for the taxpayers and say enough is enough. We cannot continue to 
spend money this way.

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