05-18-2002
TRANSPORTATION: House OKs Highway Funding Boost
The House on May 14 overwhelmingly approved legislation that would restore
at least $4.4 billion in highway funding that the Bush administration
announced it was cutting earlier this year. The 410-5 vote was hailed by
members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
"Transportation spending keeps people employed," said Chairman
Don Young, R-Alaska. "More than 180,000 family wage jobs are
associated with the $4.4 billion funding restoration in this bill."
Because the level of fiscal 2003 spending will serve as the baseline for
next year's highway reauthorization bill, transportation lobbyists see the
funding restoration as an important step to ensure a hefty bill next year.
The 1998 highway bill, dubbed TEA-21, tied federal highway spending to the
actual revenues going into the Highway Trust Fund. The Bush administration
announced when it unveiled its budget in February that, because of
declining gas-tax revenues, it was cutting highway spending by $8.6
billion, from $31.8 billion in fiscal 2002 to $23.2 billion in fiscal
2003. By restoring at least $4.4 billion, however, the House measure would
bump up the funding to the amount that was authorized in TEA-21. In the
Senate, Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James M. Jeffords,
I-Vt., is sponsoring an identical bill.
Mark Murray/National Journal
National Journal
