The difference in priorities between Congress and the president became quite stark last week the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. Although the president was quick to sign a bill authorizing $250 million in emergency spending to rebuild the bridge, he is far less concerned with the infrastructure in the rest of the nation. And this lack of concern is manifest in the budget fight between him and Congress. On the eve of passage of Transportation-HUD funding bill by House, the president issued a veto threat decrying increased funding for the interstate highway system: H.R. 3074 exceeds the President's request for programs funded in this bill by $3.4 billion...if H.R. 3074 were presented to the President, he would veto the bill....withholding RABA [the interstate highway funding mechanism] is an important first step to avoid the threat of gas tax increases or a raid on the general fund. The bill as passed by the House would fund highway infrastructure projects at $40.2 billion - $631 million more than the president's request. The bridge collapse is an extreme illustration of the potential consequences of the differences of opinion about how much and on what the federal government should spend money, but nonetheless, it's a reminder that these differences matter to all Americans.