And, perhaps, there may be some irony in the fact that Connecticut now finds itself fighting for transportation funding.

"Congress finally broke the highway interests' stranglehold on transportation funding."

He increased transportation funding to improve roads as part of the basic infrastructure of the state.

Barker said that voters in the district were more interested in issues such as transportation funding.

After three years of service the line would become eligible for federal transportation funding.

School construction and transportation funding have virtually dried up.

Areas of focus include the state budget, health-care reform, corrections reform, transportation funding, water and climate change.

Corbett responded that transportation funding "is not a budget item.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee he did not work on transportation funding.

"But the next administration needs to create a blue-ribbon commission to look at transportation funding overall."