A late-night debate over whether to drastically shrink federal highway spending in 2013 turned ugly just after 11 p.m., when a House Democrat accused a Republican and former U.S. Marine of hating America.

Members were debating a motion to instruct House conferees to push for a cap on federal highway spending of $37.5 billion for 2013, from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.). That would take spending to a point well below what Senate Democrats have proposed in their bill — the Senate bill would spend $109 billion over two years.

Read more on The Hill's Floor Action blog.