our dollars don't get used properly, and we use more th than -- than -- we pay more than what they're able to supply, because the state know what's we need. >> thanks, caller. >> george, you're absolutely right. in fact, when you look at the highway bills that have been passed historically here in washington, you have billions and billions of dollars being collected from the states and you ask someone on the transportation committee, how much of all of this highway spending goes to roads and bridges? on average, it's in the upper 30 percentile of federal collected tax dollars from fuel funds going to roads and bridges. it you believe upwards of 30%. not 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, maybe 30%, 38% on any given year. that's amazing to me. you go to the pump, come out of the gas station, sitting in traffic, you're think, i hope that excise tax i just paid will

expand the roads or build more capacity somewhere, and in fact it's going to so many other things mandated by the federal government. some of those things may be great in certain states and that may be what states are warranting but not what other states want. in fact, the state of georgia passioned a resolution urging congress to do just this very thing, and that is, i understand that other states are passing resolutions such as georgia did to encourage us to devolve the highway transportation excise tax back to the states and allow the states to do it. thank you for your encouragement. >> cleveland, ohio, good morning. kyle, democrats' line cleveland, good morning? try one more time for cleveland. >> caller: yo. >> go ahead. wayne, north carolina. independent line. >> caller: yes. hello? >> you're on. >> caller: thank you for taking my call. i was born, congressman, in

culquit, north carolina. i still have relative there's. i go back there. you still have dirt roads running all through the county, and i just want to knowful you're saying that the states handling the money, well, they've done a very piss-poor job in this county, and i'll await to hear your answer on that. >> well, thank you, and you've -- were you born and raised in a great state, and a great part of the state. what's so confusing about highways and how they're built and state highways and local roads is that when you go to the gas pump and you fill it up and you see that price at $3.50, $3.80 a gallon, whatever it is,

embedded in that price are a lot of taxes. and state and local taxes, excise tax. a lot taxes emembedded. a lot sent to the federal government and then returned to state at lower rate. a bad investment for anybody to fill up at the pump. then there's a state portion of the tax and they don't have much to work with. they're dealing with, the mandates coming from the federal government with all the regulatory environment, the epa, all the different testing that has to go on and surveys and appraisals, and all of these things that extend out the project so far that it costs so much, that even the simplest of roads to be built or improved or going from dirt to tar and gravel to asphalt or whatever it might be, takes so long that the

dollar is diminished. and so they end up doing what, asphalt overlays and other things that are quickie and that they can get to. your example is another reason why we want to, again, return this back to the states, and the states just have more flexibility, more power and more dollar and can spend it further and get to exactly what you were speaking of. >> cnn money has one of the ideas kicked around in congress is something called a driver's tax or a vehicle's mile travel tax by congressman conrad. they looked as it as a strategy. what do you think than? >> i've heard about this tax. a lot of concern and debate. it means in some ways the government's tracking your mileage and they're rightfully concern and the government implanting some sort of device in your car and tracking the miles and when you go and how fast you go. that seems to be the path that that concept creeps down.

i'm not shump thure the americae are ready for that. i've been at conferences where it's discussed and there are great concerns and rightfully so, concerns about civil rights and tracking devices in cars. i don't know where that one's going to go, but right now we know what we have. and why can't we just fix -- i mean, there's solutions out there. we can fix this. it's not that complicated. i mean, we're the united states of america. we can do a lot of great things. we've demonstrated we can do that. surely we can do it with this concept. >> john from mississippi. >> caller: yes, sir. you have to forgive me. i got a chest cold and everything, so i really appreciate c-span taking my call. >> yes, sir. good to have you, john. >> caller: and the last caller hit it on the nutshell. really. ipinknolla county.

the road i live on was supposed to be finished up three years ago. now, it's not completely gravel, but it's a very treacherous road. i mean, they come through every once in a while and they -- i call it cold filling and it last as couple of day, and -- you're bag to dodging holes. >> hmm. >> caller: and it's very frustrating for most everyone out here. i did have one other question, thing, and i promise i won't stay on it long. the tlaed wlady that was on the democrat, i don't know -- she blames a lot of bush stuff and i get sick of that, and i think a lot of americans get sick of that. you know, this is obama's administration. so he should be accountable. >> we'll let our guest respond, caller. >> john, thanks for your call today, and you've expressed two

thing. one, about the roads that you're dealing with. so many times when we talk about transportation, we're talking about in the context of congestion and people sitting in traffic and that happens all across the country. but what you've experienced and wayne who was ahead of you and wrap we see in our areas and rural parts of georgia is that roads oftentimes are dirt. or they're gravel or sand. and a lot of people aren't even used to that. is that really still existing? it does. we want to empower's states fop your second point, you're correct. the president, obama, he clearly blames his failures on others, and it doesn't matter what it is. he finds somebody to blame. that's unfortunate, because what america is looking for right now is a visionary leader. that's not looking backwards, but that's looking forwards, and that can express to america for who we are and hoon we can continue to be with a positive, visionary message that leads us forward. that's what america is longing

for right now. not anyone, whether it's me or any other leader, turning and blaming others. right now we're in such a critical part of history for the united states of america, it takes visionary leadership. somebody that's bold fluenough put courageous ideas out there and move forward in a positive way. have a great morning. thanks for calming in. >> democrats line. eric? >> caller: yes, what i would like to ask you about is, georgia is last in education. you saying nothing about education. you went up there, you are a teabagger, but let me explain something to you. you personally got a bailout. you got a loan. you owe millions of dollars to a loan that you got and you did not pay back and the taxpayers fdic had to pay back to your benefit. you, a lot of you teabaggers are blaming president obama but the banks, georgia has the most banks that went bankrupt and what i know to do, in atlanta,

in the constitution is that all of you republican politicians, you, nathan, the senators, all of you have interests in these banks and could you tell me, do we have to bail you out on that million dollar loan that you got? thank you. >> caller -- to let you know, we invite these folks to come on as our guest. suggesting the -- appropriate responses due them. go ahead, congressman. >> i appreciate it. you know, and unfortunately, there's division in america. i mean, there's, you just heard from that caller, there's divisiveness, and i like to consider this a family, friendly conversation and show that you have here each and every day, and you know, there are a lot of challenges throughout the united states and the last thing we need to do is point fingers and blame and to accuse others of things. this is the time we've got to come together and americans, republicans, democrats, independents, each and every one, and come together and push

forward in a positive fashion, and lift each other up and not try to tear each other down, and this is -- >> what was this referencing? >> we've had a lot of press in the past about, you know -- i'm a businessman. former, in the real estate industry, and was involved in -- or accused, i guess, and we worked through some resolutions together. up know, multiple business interests involved and bank involved all that. it's all been reresolved, but, course, you can imagine, politics takes a whole other angle on things. >> >> independent line. william, good morning. >> caller: good morning. >> good morning. >> caller: greetings from the largest town, largest county and largest state east of the mississippi. i wonder because i lived in different areas of the country, i've been here for a pretty long time, but i wonder if you

believe that it takes more money to maintain the roads in states like wisconsin or vermont or maine or colorado where i lived for a long time. some of the northern states, part of their road maintenance includes a lot of things that we don't have to have down here in georgia. >> a great point. that's why we should be allowing the states to have full access to their tax dollars and not be required to spend it in certain ways. that's great point why the concept we're proposing, empowering the states to spend the money how much they want to spend it and allocate their resources the way they want to allocate them is a perfect example wipe woe want to do that. >> an e-mail asks what has been the response to the proposal states who are not donor states? they must be upset to see federal funds decrease? >> positive resfrons someone states. here's why, under the same

mandates and delays getting projects done. they're still spending a lot of money and spinning wheems as a walt of that. it's taking longer and longer for projects to come 0 be. from concept to completion, takes 15 years on the average road. they're saying, look, we get. if we can just have more ability to use our funds however we want to use them, then that gives us flexibility and empowers us more and gives us a stronger dollar, or more use of that dollar. >> georgia donor state? >> georgia is a donor state. last five years, the last highway bill, it's estimated that upwards of $800 million more dollars would be spent in the state of georgia had they just gotten back what they sent up. >> san rafael, california, republican line. good morning. >> caller: good morning, gentlemen. the problem with the situation you're going to give the money back to the state of california, for example, for being responsible, the problem sheer that they're irresponsible. i've been a general contractor

30 years in the state of california, in construction, construction industry. the roads and highways here, they take too long, use too many people, and they have their transportation authorizations of people standing around doing nothing. whereas in the state of utah, i visioned quite at few times. family members in utah. they're, they're much more efficient and effective with their funds and the quality of the industry moves along much better than here in this irresponsible state of california. >> i don't know the differences in the two states. state laws, and likely there could be some there, whether it's, you know, davis bacon or prevailing wages and other things going on there. so i don't know the differences there, but that's a good example of why allow each state to determine their future a little bit, and if it's going well, then people are going to go to that state. if it's not, you've seen in some states with making bad decisions

with their state tax policy, may go other places. just empowers the states to make the rice decisions. >> we asked a previous guest about the potential vote on the debt ceiling. it being clean. what do you think the likelihood of that is? >> a clean debt ceiling? >> without requirements or amendments. >> i wouldn't suspect that would be the case. i mean, this -- the republican house is, as you've seen and, i mean, the last year and a half, has been about getting this fiscal house in order, and 7 you can't just raise the debt limit here for the united states of america without putting forth a plan. a plan than shows how we're going to correct this course. and so the fact it would be clean would be a very hard sale in the house of representatives, because the speaker's made it real clear, his position is that you've got to shoppe where you're cutting, whatever amount you're going to raise the debt limit, there's got to be an equal amount in the reduction in

the size of government. >> representative tom graves of georgia. d, democrats line. >> caller: yes. sitting here listening to the representative, i'm wondering, you know, what benefit is it going to do you know, if you take only in terms -- he's saying that getting rid of the department of highways is going to be what's best for the country, but it sounds to me like he wants to take the responsibility of all the highway systems in the country and put it out back on the back of states. so if we do that and take a burden out of there, and then when that doesn't work where do we turn? and one other statement i would like to make, ped drro, with al due respect when people call up and you guys have republican people on the show, you know, if they come up and if they are -- and they are passionate about how they feel, and with the things that they are doing in

this country, we should all be passionate that way. i think that gentleman was absolutely right. this man is not who he is purporting himself to be. he is a thief, and if you bring republicans on who cannot stand to confront what they have done and to stand up to the records that they have, heaven help us all. >> thanks, caller. >> well, that's the first time i've been accused of being a thief on air here. wow. this is a -- i guess a very active crowd this morning watching, but to her point about, i guess, transportation is what she initiated her call with. you know, the states do so many great thing, and they do them right, and i know the federal government tries its best, but the federal government has just gotten too big. the bigger you get, the more challenges you're going to have to even understand wlan you're doing. good or bad. i mean, look at what gsa has

done. look at all of these things that are happening. you see it each and every day. this isn't about putting more work on to the states. this is actually getting the states more flexibility and more opportunity. they have more work right now because the federal government is saying, if you want your dollars back, the oneses that your constituents from your state sent then you have to do these things over and over and over and over again. requiring more state employees to have to kplip with all the regulations coming from the federal government. filling ot all of the forms trying to keep up with what step they are and in each and every process. why not just allow the states to work this on their own? they already do most of everything that goes on with highway building in the states. they're the ones who put out the bids. they're the ones who have the employees in the state at the local, state d.o.t.s. they're the ones doing all the work. it's just the federal government is the bureaucracy. the $400 million a year

bureaucracy telling the states how to do it. i don't know. maybe i'm unique, but i say empower the states. not the federal government. >> from oshkosh, wisconsin. mike, independent line. >> caller: yeah, good morning. i'll try to be quick and make a coherent point over those last couple of callers. i'm wondering if the congressman thinks we should extend this to other programs as well? from refushings c b-130s to levees. you could pick an appropriation in the federal government and the states send money and it's redistributed, it frankly isn't necessarily equal in each of those programs. so i stop at transportation? isn't that the case with virtually every program? >> that's a great point. the uniqueness of this is that this is a dedicated funding source. so it is very dedicated in the fact that you're paying an excise tax at pump. 18.4 cents.

federal excise thax goes to the federal government to be spent on highway-related purposes. or transportation-related purposes. unfortunately it's not all going to transportation or highways and bridges. it's going to a lot of other things. but i think what your point is, it's accurate in that this could set up the opportunity, an example that you know, the federal government can shed some of its weight. it can allow the states to do what they do best, and so maybe you could look at other agencies or departments that are duplicative across the states and there are a lot of duplicative area where is the federal government overlays state agencies somewhere. so this is just, really, taking one area of the federal government that could be devolved back to the states, and then may be an example where the federal government could divulge something else in the future. >> our guest serves on the appropriations committee. serves on three subcommittees. agriculture, commerce, justice and science and the financial services one.

a story this week that looks at the appropriations bills not only dealing with them, but what they do about specific aspects of organizations that were created under dodd-frank. here's what here is what it says, the financial services go for 2013 would make a new -- that would make a new consumer financial protection bureau created by dodd/frank. subject to the appropriations process and allows it to receive money from the federal reserve. it says the ag bill says -- offers $128 million less in funding the obama administration wanted with commodity futures. are there cuts within these bills that deal specifically with these financial services arms of the practical government? >> depends what you are comparing it to. comparing it to the president's request, yes, absolutely. president requested one number or appropriating a different number. that's part of the debate. the president's budget that he proposed to the house and the senate just continued the deficit and the debt and required taxes. higher taxes.

in order to fund his budget. then we passed our budge net the house. the senate has yet to pass a budget, 1, 1, 00-plus days now. part of the appropriations process is we are -- i guess sort of an oversight of all these agencies and in asking them the question -- what is your role? are you accomplishing that role? and then can you do it for less? do you immediate more? those are the -- questions you go through. and you know, we are only -- only have a limited amount of funds, the federal government. unfortunately we are spending more than we have. that's what happens each and every last three years now have been $1 trillion deficit spending years. you know, these agencies are going to have to do more with less. that's what the american people have had to experience and businesses are experiencing, that's what the state governments are experiencing. this is cash absolutely right. >> your thoughts on how the -- has been perfect forming to date? >> i think there's question

about that. i mean, one, we don't have a lot of oversight over some of these areas. that's what we are trying to regain. i you this we should have -- oversight compared to what the american people expect. one thing, i mean, we -- we immediate to -- credit markets flowing. the nation needs credit. and right now the credit markets are -- they are not at capacity. they are not there. lot of sit did you to dodd/prank and impending regulations that are coming up. remember, very soon. so i would say that, you know, america is long for the opportunity to borrow money, expand their business or buy a new home or to refinance their home or buy more inventory. americans are longing for that right now. and so we immediate to get the credit markets flowing so we can grow the economy and the economy must grow in order for us to have the revenue that's required

to work through the challenges. >> this is representative tom graves from georgia, appropriations committee member. he serves the ninth district of georgia which includes gainesville and you daulton. green i will have, georgia, up next. jack, republican line. >> caller: this is jack from ringold. we put new there for a reason. the people have been downgrading thank you way they are. my question is does any of these moneys that are going to coming back to the state, do they -- any of that be allocated important the county roads, local roads? we have some roads here that's ready in need of repair or is it just going to cover it like the state roads? thank you, sir. and -- thank you for doing the job for us.

>> thank you. thanks for your call this morning. it would actually allow the states to use the money how they -- best see fit. and -- as, you know, i was in the georgia assembly, on the transportation committee, and i can remember commissioners and mayors joining me in my state house district and go down and talk to the department of transportation. they would always have their list of priorities the local community had. and that's what they would share with the department of transportation. and it seems like each and every time we would meet the department was -- this is all we have. between don't have a whole lot because we are not getting revenue that we are sending up to the federal government. we only have was just bit. we can help you with this and this and this. what we are trying the do is free that back up and allow the state to have all the resources that they need if they are -- at their disposal without all the regulation that is currently tied to it. i think that it would really help out with the area you are

speaking of. >> democrats line, james from holly hill, florida. >> caller: good morning. >> good morning. >> caller: how are you doing? i would like to ask a question of the representative and make a statement. that is -- now, some years ago, there was a bill before congress to use shredded tires to mix with asphalt for building the roads. now, proven lit make the roads last about 10, 12 years longer. but from all accounts, money was put in the pockets of a lot of the republicans in congress and that bill was defeated. you know, it saves enormous money for the taxpayers. i would like to mention that and this happened when he was not in office. it was several years ago when the vote came up. second, when -- when people used to task for things that might have happened, like when this had to do when -- the banking

earlier, somebody asked you about, we are not doing wrong and not being mean. we are calling to you task for something could you have been involved with. if everything is on the up and up, it is not -- like throwing mud at democrats. they get upset when people throw snowballs at them. this is calling you to task. we have the right to do this. and shouldn't be like we are mean or anything to you. we are just calling it to task things that happened in the past. i'm going to get off the phone and listen to your answer. >> thanks. you are absolutely right. there is nothing wrong with having a conversation or a dialogue. we have to be careful of all of this. myself included. owning of it and -- but show respect. i appreciate yours. i mean, you are absolutely right. there was a business dispute. and it has been resolved.

unfortunately there are those who maybe i guess don't agree with the fact it has been resolved. but it has been. we moved on. and that's -- been a while ago. but i appreciate your call and your tone and thanks for watching the show today. >> on the senate side, a debate going bo about the farm bill, particularably subsidies. "wall street journal" this morning says there is map of those that receives subsidies including georgia. $100 million without referencing too much about -- or at least talk about from your perfect peck sieve what's going on the senate side. what could cuts and subsidies mean for your state? do you believe them overall. >> well, that's one of the areas that i think you are going start seeing boulder reforms, how do we move ahead as nation when we are subsidizing so much? and -- it covers, again, a lot of subsidies across the nation, whether it is the -- farm bill or ethanol, whether it is one group over another group.

and we have -- to move away from that. and i think america is founded on the concept of -- you know what, let's -- we can get by. work hard. we can dream big and get it done. get it done on our own. with our neighbors help and families help and communities help. unfortunately we evolved so far with the subsidies or welfare, all these various programs, that unfortunately i think too many americans now found themselveses have dependent upon a bill passing and that's a position we must work away from. you does mean it has to happen overnight or immediately. when you talk to most farmers they agree. they understand that, you know what, over time this isn't the best for the nation when we see the crisis that lies ahead. as to the senate's farm bill, i don't know the details of it. real hard the to speak what's going on in the senate. but we will see if they pass it and get it over to the house and

i'm sure we will deal with it when it comes. >> george on the independent line. buford, georgia. >> caller: good morning. >> good morning. >> caller: i have a question about i-85. it seems they changed the hov lanes to h.o.t. lanes, a toll lane. you have to get to georgia peach -- it has put congestion on the highways. and -- >> we are leaving "washington journal" it is a house intelligence senate intelligence committee members are gathering for a briefing on recent classified security fog leaks. it is just getting under way. >> are you red write? the senate intelligence committee has just had a meeting with the director of national intelligence. we invited the house chairman, mike rogers, and the