By Jim Berard 202-226-5064
The Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is urging his Senate counterparts to approve an extension of current highway and transit law without adding provisions that may violate House rules.
Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.) said in a statement that a proposed Senate amendment to add spending to the extension bill would run afoul of a pay-as-you-go rule in the House. The Senate approach also earmarks the majority of benefits under some programs to a small number of states.
The bill in question extends the current surface transportation authorization through the end of December. The authorization was set to expire today, at the end of the fiscal year. However, a stopgap provision in the Continuing Appropriations Resolution extends the authorization to the end of October.
Chairman Oberstar’s Statement
Last week, the House passed H.R. 3617, the “Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2009”, a clean, three-month extension of the Federal highway, highway safety, and transit programs, by an overwhelming vote of 335-85. In the week since the House acted, the Senate has not considered this legislation and the House has completed its legislative business for the day.
I urge the Senate to act today, the last day of the fiscal year, to clear this measure for the President and provide continuity of funding for surface transportation infrastructure projects and highway safety programs across the country.
Failure to pass free-standing extension legislation will force States to operate under the one-month Continuing Appropriations Resolution, which will provide States almost $1 billion less in highway infrastructure funding than the amount provided under the first month of the House bill’s investment levels. This is unacceptable and irresponsible at a time when the nation is beginning to recover from the worst economic recession since the 1930s.
I have heard that the Senate has begun circulating an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3617 that raises a number of significant concerns: First, the Senate amendment increases spending, it thereby violates the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements of clause 10 of Rule XXI of the Rules of the House because the amendment does not provide for accompanying spending reductions or revenue increases to offset the increased spending in the amendment. We have made it very clear to the Senate for months that the House will not consider a bill that violates the PAYGO requirements.
I also have serious concerns that the Senate amendment earmarks the overwhelming majority of significant highway discretionary program funds to only a small, select group of States. Under the Senate amendment, four States would receive 57 percent of all grants under the discretionary programs for Projects of National Significance, National Corridor, and Magnetic Levitation. This is unfair to the 47 other States, and unacceptable to the House. Conversely, H.R. 3617, as passed by the House, maintains the discretionary, competitive nature of these programs.
I urge the Senate to follow the House’s lead, and clear H.R. 3617 for the President today, before the expiration of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU). Passage of this legislation will avoid an interruption of State highway and transit programs, and an unnecessary reduction in funding provided to the States for these programs.
###
