The bully is tiny Hawaii, a state that gets back far more federal highway money than it puts in through gasoline taxes.

The defenseless victim is giant Texas, which puts in far more than it gets back.

Unfortunately for Hawaii, Delay is in a position to change the odds in this unusual David and Goliath story.

Tomorrow, the House's third-ranking Republican will introduce legislation to dramatically alter the formula used to determine how much highway money is distributed to states, with Texas and other "donor" states getting more, and Hawaii and other "donee" states getting less.

Even more unfortunate for Hawaii, Delay is not alone.

Congress is girding for what promises to be one of the most bruising, high-stakes battles of the year: reauthorizing the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, which funnels billions of dollars to states every year for transportation projects. States hurt most by the current formula tend to be the same southern states whose elected officials now control Congress.

That could spell trouble for states such as Hawaii, which like the formula just the way it is.

"It's far too early to tell what will happen, but if I were in Hawaii, I'd be very concerned," said James Corless of the Surface Transportation Policy Project, a coalition of civic and environmental groups following the debate closely.

"We would like to see the current formula preserved, but we are realists," said Kazu Hayashida, director of the state Department of Transportation. "The reality is there might be some change. We just want to mitigate its impact on Hawaii."

Highway officials could not say what highway projects, if any, would be slowed or canceled by a reduction in federal funds.

"Obviously it would affect projects, but we don't know how because we don't know the magnitude of the change," said transportation spokesman Ross Smith. "If it's small, it might just mean the last project on the list is dropped. If it's a big reduction, there could be a lot of juggling."

Hayashida declined to speculate on what would happen if Hawaii's share of federal money dropped dramatically.

"We're just hoping that our congressional delegation will come through," he said.

Early word from the delegation was not encouraging.

"The bottom line is, I am sure Hawaii's fund ratio will be reduced," said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Honolulu. "That's the direction the discussion is going."

But Abercrombie said the formula provides just a minimum allotment for states. If Hawaii succeeds in getting major highway projects approved, he said, funding for them will be provided.

Abercrombie said the delegation will focus its efforts on getting needed projects approved.

"If we try to fight changing the ratio, we risk alienating those whose help we might need," he said.

Money from the Highway Trust Fund is brought in through federal taxes on gasoline and tires and is distributed based on a formula that takes into account such things as a state's interstate highway construction and maintenance.

Calculations vary, but by every measure, Hawaii has received far more from the fund than it has donated since ISTEA was adopted six years ago.

By one Federal Highway Administration calculation, for example, Hawaii received $5.38 for every dollar it donated to the account from 1992 to 1995.

Only Alaska got a higher return, while southern states like Texas (92 cents for every dollar) and Georgia were net losers.

"Hawaii's historically been a pretty big 'donee'," said the FHA's James Pinkelman.

This fiscal year, Hawaii will receive $130 million in highway funds, according to Hayashida, who said that is about average for the state.The federal money has been used for such projects as the H-2 and H-3 freeways.

Delay aide Tony Rudy said a formula change would not necessarily devastate Hawaii.

"The likelihood is they will get less money, but maybe not that much less," he said.

Not everyone believes a change is inevitable. At least 20 states, concentrated in the Northeast and Northwest, benefit from the current formula, and they are expected to fight hard to retain it.

"It's unclear now if the formula will change," said Corless of the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In order to avoid what many predict will be a bloody battle, he said, Congress might reauthorize ISTEA by the September deadline but put off permanent funding change until 1998.

But even the most hopeful concede that this is a largely political battle and that a formidable group of politicians is lining up against the current formula.

Besides Delay, they include such congressional leaders as Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.; Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee; and House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.