"A total of ten billion US dollars."
Higgins was stunned.
He blinked, his mind racing to search every legislative agenda in his memory.
"What bill? Ten billion dollars?"
Higgins's voice rose a few pitches.
"Ron, I'm the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee! If there was a ten-billion-dollar bill, how could I possibly not know? It hasn't even had its first reading! It's not even on the agenda!"
"Are you using a bill that hasn't even been born yet as an excuse?"
"You're committing fraud! This is a serious procedural violation!"
Ron smiled.
"Jeff, you're a Legislator. You care about procedure, and you're not wrong about that."
"But for the construction companies out there that have been starving for half a year, for the workers waiting to put food on the table, procedure doesn't fill their stomachs."
Ron walked over to Higgins.
"Yes, the bill hasn't passed yet."
"Legally speaking, it doesn't actually exist."
