During the past two decades, the primary objective of highway spending has shifted from expanding the nation's capital stock to maintaining it.
The Federal share of highway spending would total about $87 billion over the five year period.
President Bush proposes deep cuts in programs like highway spending, job training and technology research.
They plan to open 146 miles of expressways this year with total highway spending reaching $1.6 billion.
While highway spending is about $14 billion a year, fuel tax receipts total more than $16 billion a year.
The Republican task now is to stand for something bigger and better than highway spending.
While you note a $160 million reduction in highway spending, this was a tiny 0.8 percent out of the current $19.9 billion.
He said the administration would work with Congress to smooth year-to-year fluctuations in highway spending.
The 1982 law on highway spending expired last September.
The shift of money to highway spending, he said, would produce jobs and help the country rebuild the infrastructure that was dragging the economy down.
