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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush dismissed
Thursday raising the federal gasoline tax to repair the nation's
bridges at least until Congress changes the way it spends highway
money.
"The way it seems to have worked is that
each member on that (Transportation) committee gets to set his or
her own priorities first," Bush said. "That's not the right way to
prioritize the people's money. Before we raise taxes, which could
affect economic growth, I would strongly urge the Congress to
examine how they set priorities."
About $24 billion, or 8% of the last $286
billion highway bill, was devoted to highway and bridge projects
singled out by lawmakers. The balance is sent in the form of grants
to states, which then decide how it will be spent. Federal money
accounts for about 45% of all infrastructure spending.
The Democratic chairman of the House
Transportation Committee proposed a 5-cent increase in the 18.3
cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax to establish a new trust fund
for repairing or replacing structurally deficient highway
bridges.
On terrorism, Bush said he is confident in
the ability of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to crack down
on militants at the Afghan border and cooperate with the U.S.
He said he expected Musharraf to take "swift
action if there is actionable intelligence inside his country."
Bush refused to address whether the U.S. troops would go into
Pakistan without permission from leaders there.
"We spend a lot of time with the leadership
in Pakistan talking about what we will do with actionable
intelligence," Bush said. "Am I confident they (terrorists) will be
brought to justice? My answer is, 'Yes I am.' "
Bush made his comments during a midmorning
session with reporters. It was his first full news conference since
July 12 when he inaugurated the newly refurbished White House
briefing room. Since then, he has had brief question-and-answer
sessions with Britain's new prime minister, Gordon Brown, and
Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai.
With Congress already out of town, Bush was
to leave Washington at midday for a three-night stay at his
father's oceanfront compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. On Saturday,
Bush will meet in Kennebunkport with France's new president,
Nicolas Sarkozy, who is vacationing at an estate on Lake
Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, N.H., about 50 miles away.
The president is to return to the White
House on Sunday and then head out the next day for his Texas
ranch.
Bush is not expected to return to Washington
until near the end of the month, although he is scheduled to make
some outings from his ranch. He is to meet with the leaders of
Mexico and Canada Aug. 20-21 in Ottawa.
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