CONTACTS: Linda Rozett/Elizabeth
Keys (202)463-5682/888-249-NEWS
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Chamber Urges Congress to Restore Highway
Funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The United States Chamber of Commerce today
urged lawmakers to support legislation introduced by a bipartisan
group of House and Senate members to cut in half the projected $8.6
billion budgetary shortfall in highway funding for fiscal year
2003.
“We cannot afford to put off much-needed improvements in critical
highway projects when the necessary funds have already been
collected,” said Thomas Donohue, Chamber president and CEO.
“The government needs to use these dedicated funds to ensure an
efficient, safe transportation system that is vital to our
just-in-time economy and our way of life.”
The Highway Funding Restoration Act (H.R. 3694 and S. 1917),
introduced by the leadership of the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee, would restore the floor for highway funding
to the authorized level called for under the TEA-21 bill, using part
of the $19 billion highway trust fund surplus and leaving the door
open to achieve the full fiscal year 2002 funding level.
“We have a highway trust fund surplus of $19 billion in dedicated
taxpayer money and that money must be spent,” said Donohue.
“Each $1 billion spent on transportation construction and
maintenance means 42,000 jobs.”
As the leader of the Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM)
coalition, the Chamber is working with the administration and
Congress during the budget process to ensure that transportation
user fees are fully used to meet the nation’s growing infrastructure
needs. The coalition currently includes more than 300 trade,
state, and local organizations.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business
federation, representing more than three million businesses and
organizations of every size, sector, and region.
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