According to House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas), the White House has agreed to sign onto an additional $43 billion worth of spending for the surface transportation bill under consideration.

This brings the total number to $299 billion as the high mark for what the administration has said it will accommodate. This also marks the level the House conferees were at when the conference with the Senate broke down last year. The Senate last year passed a $318.9 billion bill, well above the administration's request of $256 billion.

The administration has so far not commented on Delay's claim.