Senate committee approves 2-year highway reauthorization;
proposal advances to full senate

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in a unanimous 18-0 vote last week, approved a two-year reauthorization of federal highway programs at current funding levels. The bill now moves to the Senate floor calendar, where it will wait for three other committees to approve funding, transit, and safety components that will eventually be merged into one piece of legislation.

John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, commended the committee for supporting the principle that existing levels of highway investment should be preserved.

"We particularly appreciate the unanimous, bipartisan vote to move the bill forward," Horsley said. "We agree with the objectives outlined in the MAP-21 legislation to help ensure accountability and stewardship of federal surface transportation investments, improve the efficiency of the regulatory review process for transportation improvements, and leverage private-sector resources through an expanded TIFIA program."

Floor consideration of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, S 1813, now depends on the Senate Finance Committee finding $12 billion in offsets to supplement projected Highway Trust Fund revenue. The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee must pass the transit section of the legislation. And the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee must approve safety provisions.

"After more than two years of short-term extensions and with an economy desperate for an immediate boost, action on this multiyear surface transportation reauthorization bill should occur as soon as possible," Horsley said. "We fully recognize that money alone will not deliver the transportation network our nation requires, and that is why we strongly support program reforms. We also believe that failing to supplement current Highway Trust Fund revenues would lead to a more than 30% cut in every state's federal highway and public transportation funds."

During today's 75-minute-long markup, the committee adopted en bloc 18 amendments that had been agreed to in advance by Senate EPW Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-California, and Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma and the committee's ranking minority member. While several senators spoke about other amendments they had drafted that did not gain Boxer and Inhofe's approval, none requested a vote in deference to the leaders' request not to debate further modifications to the 600-page bill's language.

The last multiyear surface transportation authorization law, known as "SAFETEA-LU," expired in September 2009 and has been temporarily extended eight times by Congress. The current extension will lapse March 31.

"With so many jobs on the line -- perhaps as many as 600,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation -- including the current funding levels plus inflation is a key step in starting to address our nation's surface transportation needs," Horsley said.


Highway bill improved with Sen. Crapo additions
Rural state funding maintained as Senate EPW Committee marks up bill

Idaho and other rural states will maintain their share of federal highway dollars under a draft highway spending bill approved by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and fellow members of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee today. The committee included language from Crapo amendments in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) legislation. The highway bill faces additional Senate committee hearings before a vote on the floor. The two-year measure follows the old SAFE-TEA funding bill, which expired in Fiscal Year 2009.

“States like Idaho have long rural stretches of road that connect the country and few people to support these roads,” Crapo said before the committee meeting today, thanking colleagues for agreeing to maintain funding percentages that are fair to rural areas. “At a time when generating jobs is such an important focus, this approach puts funds to work more quickly than otherwise distributing them through discretionary and allocation programs.”

The bipartisan MAP-21 bill consolidates federal programs by two-thirds and eliminates earmarks. It expedites project completion goals while protecting environmental concerns like air quality. States receive more flexibility for highway and bridge funding and traffic congestion relief in the legislation. Efficiency and emergency repairs for natural disasters are also targeted. Crapo’s amendments focused on flexibility for states regarding funding, and limiting additional planning mandates, especially for ongoing and multi-year transportation projects.

Committee members approved the bill unanimously. While this step represents a win for rural states like Idaho, more work is needed to address the funding shortfall. Revenue from fuel taxes has diminished as a result of increasing efficiencies and is no longer projected to cover our transportation needs. But Crapo, who is also a member of the Senate Finance Committee, tasked with funding the shortfall, and the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee that will contribute transit components to the bill, said that today’s action represents an important first step to passing a much-needed transportation reauthorization bill.

“In this time of massive deficits, funding for critical infrastructure needs should be based on a sound fiscal plan and no longer rely on borrowing funds to prop up shortfalls,” Crapo concluded.

“Now is the time for Congress to focus on proposals that can garner the support of both parties and make it to the President’s desk for signature. This bipartisan legislation is just that--it's one of the best jobs bills that Congress could consider right now,” Crapo concluded.

To directly link to this news release, please use the following address: http://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=334714

Published 11-11-2011