mr. hancock. aashto is one of the first organizations out with the reauthorization priority. i thank you for that and i assume that means you think there is room for improvement reform and greater transparency to rebuild trust in the program. can you expand on that? >> we absolutely do believe it needs to improve both math 21 we felt was a major step forward and we were very pleased with the reforms we saw. there are are some tweets that like the one need to be made that part of the issue right now is we haven't completely seen the rulemaking regarding those. we are eagerly awaiting those and we will have some comments. i'm quite sure we will tweet it significantly. >> look or two that. >> thank you so much and i believe senator barrasso is next followed a senator boozman. >> mr. hancock following up on your previous testimony i talked to my opening statement about the roadblocks that are out there in the construction projects which makes things more costly and doesn't create meaningful jobs we are trying to create. can you talk about recommendations you might have to further

mr. hancock. >> good morning chairman boxer ranking member vitter and distinguished members of the committee. thank you for the opportunity on behalf of aashto in the state d.o.t. to share our views on the importance of robust federal investment in surface transportation here the potential near-term impacts of the cash shortfall the trust fund of the longer-term impacts associated with the uncertainty and instability of the highway trust fund. i will have to say i'm very encouraged by the remarks that i have for this morning. i would like to share two points with you. first the threat to the states the construction industry and the overall economy is real and it's even closer than originally estimated. we could face serious economic disruptions as early as this summer if u.s. d.o.t. delays reimbursements to the states for active projects already underway. second unless congress acts to either increase the highway trust fund revenues or provide additional funds support the states will be unable to

mr. hancock area -- for mr. hancock.[indiscernible] yousume that means that think that there is room for improvement reform, greater transparency to build, rebuild trust. can you expand on that, a couple of your priorities? >> sure. we do believe there is room to improve. 21 was ael that map major step forward. there are some tweaks that likely will need to be made. ist of the issue right now we have not seen the will making regarding those. we will be eagerly awaiting those and will have some that we, i'm quite sure will tweak. not significant. >> we look forward to that. thank you, madam chair. >> thank you. i believe senator grassley is next. >> thank you, madam chairman. mr. hancock, following up on your previous testimony -- i talked previously about the roadblocks in construction raw checks, the red tape, which does things more costly, not create a meaningful jobs you're trying to create. can you talk about recommendations you might have to further accelerate project deliveries? >> there are a number of activities

mr. hancock, one of the frustrations we have not only with this, states are struggling right now. and in an effort to try and push more money for infrastructure they're is a tendency at the state level, and this is not true of arkansas, we passed that sales tax which is something that other states need to look at doing in actually have defined projects and things and get those kind of things done. there is a little frustration as he puts more money ought, the state backs out and they get this money so that they can divert to prisons and schools and things that are very, very necessary, but the reality is you do not go forward. you have more of a federal government shouldering the burden. >> i would be more than happy to comment on that. has been hard experience that whenever federal money has come the state has stepped up with issues and made additional moneys available as well in kentucky we have been in will to do a lot of major projects through that mechanism, but the one thing that i would say, about 40% on average of the money that the states have to work with to build projec

hancock of denver. thank you so much, mr. mayor. all right. gentlemen, gentlemen, are you ready for some football?>> yes. >> absolutely. >> stephen: all right, let's do this thing. mayor murray, you are seattle's first openly gay mayor. that's a lifestyle i do not cob don't. ( cheers and applause ). , i'm sorry but everyone knows being mayor is a choice. ( laughter ). >> and i'm glad seattle made that choice. >> stephen: okay, good. and yet, and yet, you don't let them vote on whether you should be gay. that sounds like a double standard. mayor hancock, mayor hancock, you are, likewise, the openly black mayor of denver. now, colorado-- colorado has legalized recreational marijuana, but you want to ban smoking it in public. >> right. >> stephen: okay. >> right. >> stephen: but you also support allowing bars the option to stay open later. >> that is correct, stephen. >> stephen: okay, you heard him, broncos fans-- if you have a victory riot, don't do it because you're stoned. do it because you're drunk, okay? ( cheers and applause ) all right, let's get to the game. mayor hancock, on sunday what, te