U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. Rep. Don Young, Chairman

Contact: Steve Hansen (Communications Director)  (202) 225-7749
 Email: Steve.Hansen@mail.house.gov
     Justin Harclerode (Communications Assistant)  (202) 226-8767
  Email: Justin.Harclerod@mail.house.gov
     Jim Berard (Democratic Communications Director)  (202) 225-4472

To:  National Desk/Transportation Reporter
May 1, 2002

Transportation Committee Unanimously Approves Bipartisan Bill To Restore $4.4 Billion In Highway Funding

        Washington, DC – Bipartisan legislation to restore at least $4.4 billion in federal highway aid was approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today.

        H.R. 3694, the Highway Funding Restoration Act, was introduced by Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) earlier this year and currently has 317 cosponsors in the House.

“The Principle That Highway Spending Should Equal Highway Revenues Is The Cornerstone Of TEA 21” – Chairman Young

        “It is important to immediately move H.R. 3694, The Highway Funding Restoration Act,” said Young.

        “It is urgent that the message be sent that these funds will be available to the states to continue vital transportation projects.  This funding is necessary to combat our nation’s congestion problems, improve highway safety, and protect jobs.

        “The principle that highway spending should equal highway revenues is the cornerstone of TEA 21.  We must send a loud and clear message to the House of Representatives that we will not agree to restoring these funds at the expense of this principle,” said Young.

“TEA 21 Has Created Thousands Upon Thousands Of Jobs – We Cannot Afford To Lose These Jobs” – Rep. Oberstar

        “The TEA 21 bill that we moved and got enacted into law in 1998 is the biggest transportation bill in the history of Congress, in the history of this country,” said U.S. Rep. James L. Oberstar, Ranking Democratic Member of the Committee.

        “The commitment we made in TEA 21 has created thousands upon thousands of jobs – good, family wage jobs – throughout the country.  We cannot afford to go back on our commitment.  We cannot afford to lose these jobs.”

H.R. 3694 – the Highway Funding Restoration Act

        The bill increases the guaranteed level of highway funding for fiscal year 2003 to at least $27.7 billion, the level authorized in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21).  This represents an increase of $4.4 billion above the President’s proposed budget.

        These additional funds will be made available to the states pursuant to the TEA 21 formula.

        An amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, was approved during the markup.  The amendment ensures that the obligation levels established in the bill will be placed behind the firewall for FY 2003.  The amendment also establishes a sense of Congress that the Revenue Aligned Budget Authority (RABA) mechanism be amended in the future to more accurately align highway spending with highway revenues while maintaining predictability and stability in highway funding levels.

        In March, Young and U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, announced an agreement between the leaderships of the two committees that would include the $4.4 billion in funding in the FY 2003 Budget Resolution.  The House passed the Budget Resolution last month, but the Senate has yet to act on its version.  Passage of the Highway Funding Restoration Act would make the necessary statutory changes embodied in that agreement while protecting the concept of the RABA principle.

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