Bush highway bill faces opposition from Ohio GOP

Voinovich says jobs are the issue and that's why the bill must pass.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush is facing more opposition from Ohio Republicans. This time, it's over the federal highway spending bill that remains stalled in Congress.
Nearly all of Ohio's GOP lawmakers oppose the president's proposed highway bill, saying a more expensive version of the bill passed earlier this year by the U.S. Senate would bring more funding to the state for roads and bridges -- and create more jobs.
"The fact of the matter is that all of the people in Ohio, except one, are with me on this. They understand how important this highway bill is to the future of Ohio," said Sen. George Voinovich, a Cleveland Republican and author of the bill.
"We should win this issue," Voinovich said. "And if the president doesn't agree with us, then we should go with the higher bill, let him veto the bill, and we'll override his veto."
Voinovich was in the spotlight last year for breaking with Bush over the size of the president's tax cut. Before that, Sen. Mike DeWine was one of eight Republicans to vote against oil drilling in an Alaska wildlife refuge, which the president supports.
Political implications
Political observers say disagreements between members of Congress and a president of the same political party are common when they come on local issues. Disagreements are more rare on issues that the president sees as crucial to his agenda or re-election campaign.
"Most partisans recognize that if they turn down their own party's president, it hurts them also because it weakens the president and it weakens the party," said Paul Beck, chairman of the political science department at Ohio State University.
The highway bill is a little of both. It's chock-full of funding for local transportation projects, which can help lawmakers gain support back home.
"When it comes to things that members need for their own political survival, they are prepared to part company with the White House, and while the White House doesn't like it, at some level, they understand it," said Ross Baker, a Rutgers University specialist on Congress.
But for the Bush administration, the highway bill also represents a key election-year message for the president, who is facing record deficits. Bush has said he'll hold the line on spending by vetoing any highway bill larger than $256 billion.
Ohio support, opposition
Ohio Republicans, including Gov. Bob Taft, support a larger bill that costs between $275 billion and $318 billion. Taft has lobbied the Bush administration for its support, saying the Senate-passed bill would boost the state's share of the federal gas tax from 90.5 percent to 95 percent by 2009.
The lone Ohio holdout is Rep. John Boehner, a West Chester Republican who says he opposes highway legislation because it contains funding for lawmakers' pet projects.
The Bush administration brushed off questions about the president's relations with Republicans in Ohio, a state expected to be a battleground in the November election.
"This administration remains committed to continue our work with members of Congress to get responsible legislation passed," Bush spokesman Ken Lisaius said. "Will there be disagreements on Capitol Hill? Yes, but we will continue to work with members of Congress on matters that are important to the American people."