Voinovich's persistence seen in the Senate's highway bill

Last April, Ohio Sen. George V. Voinvoich, a Republican, made national news when he broke ranks with Republican President George W. Bush over federal highway spending and warned the White House that a presidential veto of a bill passed by Congress would be overridden.
Bush had said that he would reject any measure that broke the $256 billion ceiling he had established, but Voinovich and other Republicans on Capitol Hill made it clear they believed more needed to be spent for the nation's roads and bridges.
The disagreement between the White House and Congress resulted in the highway bill being stalled, but now the legislators are aiming for the six-year spending plan to be sent to the president this spring.
Indeed, earlier this year, the White House said it would accept the $284 billion figure House and Senate leaders agreed to, but revived the veto threat if Congress exceeded that limit. A showdown may be in the offing because some senators are vowing to seek additional money when the measure reaches the floor next month.
The House passed its version of the spending package last week, while the Senate Environment and Public Works and the Banking committees took up the measure this week. Following passage by the Senate, a conference committee will work out differences in the two versions.
But whatever the outcome, Voinovich's role in fashioning bill that takes a realistic look at the nation's transportation needs and makes sure Ohio gets its fair share of federal highway dollars must be acknowledged. The senator can hardly be accused of being one of the big spenders on Capitol Hill. He has long advocated a pay-as-you-go budgeting process whereby every dollar spent must be shown to exist, either through savings in the budget or through new revenue.
Thus, when he argued that the president's original funding level for highways and other transportation needs was too low, his colleagues paid attention.
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"A good highway system is critical for good jobs across our country and is one of the best ways to ensure our nation's economic security," Voinovich, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, said after the bill was reported out. "This bill would help make our roads safer and improve our infrastructure, which are both critical to our just-in-time-delivery manufacturers. This bill is long overdue, and I'm hopeful that the Senate will act on it soon. And as we move forward, I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that Ohio's infrastructure needs are met."
Ohio would get $6.2 billion during the life of the spending blueprint, a 28.98 percent increase over the 1998 highway authorization bill. But more significantly, the measure would increase the state's rate of return from 90.5 cents to 92 cents of every gas tax dollar collected in Ohio and sent to Washington.
When he first ran for the Senate, Voinovich was harshly critical of the rate of return, saying Ohio and other populated states were being shortchanged by Washington. The issue struck a chord with the voters and the senator has kept his word to fight for a more equitable distribution of the gas tax revenue.
When Voinovich became governor in 1991, Ohio received back 79 cents. Voinovich lobbied for an increase and the highway bill that year raised the amount to 87 cents. Then in 1998, it was increased again to 90.5 cents.
And when the new highway bill becomes law, the rate of return will be even higher.
Voinovich's persistence is paying off -- and that's good for the people of Ohio.