RAMP Signs Letter Supporting SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization

The Regional Access Mobility Partnership in solidarity with the US Chamber of Commerce, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, hundreds of other local chambers and organizations is urging US Senators and Representatives to reauthorize SAFETEA-LU, the federal transportation legislation.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (MN-08) and Ranking Member John Mica (FL-07), and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Peter DeFazio (OR-04) and Ranking Member John Duncan (TN-02) introduced legislation to reauthorize the federal highway, public transportation and safety programs, officially kicking off the congressional debate. While the 775 page bill is not perfect, it is a good start with a strong emphasis on reform and accountability.

The letter states:

The time to enact a robust, six-year federal surface transportation program authorization is NOW!

There is a big difference between public investment and public spending. And the American people know it. Unlike much government spending, strategic capital investments in our national highway, bridge and public transportation network provide long-lived assets that return value to American families, businesses and the U.S. economy for current and future generations—value far exceeding their initial cost.

Enactment of a multi-year transportation bill is a unique opportunity to address two major national economic challenges by promoting job creation and incentivizing capital investment. Strategic investments in transportation infrastructure can reduce productivity-robbing, energy wasting, emissions creating traffic congestion. They can also reduce health care costs by reducing motor vehicle crashes caused by inadequate road conditions.

Two, blue-ribbon, bipartisan commissions initiated by the Congress in 2005 have provided a consensus blueprint for action and financing. They call for policy principles we embrace: a surface transportation program that is performance-based, transparent and fully accountable to taxpayers, and user financed. And we heartily agree with their conclusion that sufficient revenue must be raised to fund new capital investments in highway and transit capacity to facilitate the movement of people and freight. These investments are absolutely critical to America’s future economic competitiveness.

We readily acknowledge the political challenges associated with financing the next surface transportation program authorization. But the obvious can no longer be ignored. To that end, we pledge to actively support user fee-based revenue solutions, including an increase in the federal motor fuels tax, necessary to fund a six-year investment bill that meets national transportation needs.

Let’s put America back to work and on the move!

Congress Extends SAFETEA-LU

Thanks fto WSDOT for this update:

On Thursday, Congress passed legislation to extend SAFETEA-LU, and to continue
funding USDOT, through December 18th. The President should sign the bill into
law sometime in the next two days.

The Senate may attempt to pass a 6 month extension of SAFETEA-LU next week. The House Transportation Committee chair continues to oppose that.

For more information on
this and other related topics visit: http://wsdotfederalfunding.blogspot.com/

SAFTEA-LU Reauthorization Update

Thanks to WSDOT for passing on this update on the SAFTEA-LU Reauthorization. Learn more about federal funding on their blog:

Reports are sketchy but apparently on Wednesday some Senators attempted, unsuccessfully, a legislative maneuver to pass an 18-month extension of SAFETEA-LU. “Hotlining” is a process in which Senators are asked if they would object to taking up a bill and passing it without debate or amendment. If so much as one Senator objects, the legislation must be scheduled for a floor debate and vote. It’s a process often used for non-controversial bills, and sometimes used to flush out potential objections and amendments.

At least one Senator objected, almost certainly Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio), who supports a shorter extension (e.g., 12-month). Voinovich is retiring in November 2010, and may want the shorter extension so that he can influence the longer-term bill and funding for Ohio projects.

It’s possible the Senate could debate the bill next week (Oct 26-30). But there would likely be filibusters from Voinovich and others, and it’s unclear if the Senate could pass the bill next week. At any rate, it’s hard to see how a final extension bill could be negotiated by the House and Senate and sent to the President by November 1, unless there’s a last minute agreement on a shorter-term extension.

Best guess at this point is we get another one-month extension, along with a one-month extension of 2010 transportation appropriations spending.

SAFETEA-LU TWO

Business and labor have joined forces to support transportation funding, offer suggestions for reform.

Congress approved and President Bush signed HR 3, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) on August 10, 2005.

SAFETEA-LU is a $286.5 billion highway and mass transit bill aimed at enhancing safety, economic productivity, economic growth, and reducing traffic congestion and pollution.

SAFETEA-LU will sunset on September 30, 2009, and Congress is beginning the arduous task of determining how to revitalize this important transportation funding measure in the next reauthorization cycle.

Recently, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released a study citing “bottom line” funding needs for U.S. Highways and mass transit systems at a whopping $240.5 billion dollars per year.

Congressman James Oberstar, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation Infrastructure, recently discussed a $450 billion dollar, six-year bill; however, it remains unclear how the other committees (namely Ways & Means) will decide to pay for that. To put it in perspective, let me remind you that the current authorization is $286.5 billion dollars over the five-year funding life of the program.

There is no question our nation’s transportation infrastructure is broken. We have not been investing enough money in roads, bridges and transit to maintain these systems, let alone build capacity. But increased funding is not the only answer. Long-term planning and investments in transportation must be a priority, but any proposed legislation must also provide reforms to ensure money is used for needed projects and not wasteful spending. It is critical that we provide significant revenues tied to fulfilling the federal responsibility in meeting the national interest and maintenance of a user-fee-based trust fund protected by budgetary firewalls.

As Congress looks toward reauthorization of funding from the Highway Trust Fund, the Americans for Transportation Mobility coalition, comprised of representatives from business, labor and transportation sectors have weighed in with some guiding principles for reform:

• Focus on National Needs – A strong federal role built on national needs stemming from interstate commerce, international trade policies, interstate passenger travel, emergency preparedness, national defense, and global competitiveness.
• Require Accountability – Project approval and funding must be linked to economic benefits and performance-based outcomes.
• Encourage Private Investment and Financing – The federal government should encourage project financing and delivery approaches that attract private investment within an appropriate federal framework.
• Eliminate Wasteful Spending – Limit earmarks that are not related to transportation infrastructure, if they do not address the goals of federal transportation policy, or they have limited or no national benefit.

Guest Blogger: Renee Radcliff Sinclair, executive director of Congressional & Public Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce