An amendment to the federal transportation bill, SAFETEA, to be
introduced today by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) will eradicate
$11 billion from public transit funding, public health,
community development, and environmental programs.
Prior to Sessions' proposal, the Senate had proposed a total of
$295 billion for the overall bill. But the Bush Administration
has insisted it will veto any bill that exceeds $284 billion.
Critics contend that the Sessions amendment targets funding for
some of the most successful, badly needed programs for the sake
of White House approval of the overall cost.
"This amendment is really about telling Senators they can get a
$295 billion highway bill at the $284 billion price tag
requested by the President," said Colin F. Peppard,
Transportation Policy Coordinator for Friends of the Earth.
"Unfortunately, the $11 billion difference comes at the expense
of our most popular and effective transportation programs."
Rather than receiving the necessary funding from the federal
government, Peppard asserts that the Sessions amendment "pushes
the costs of these programs onto states as unfunded mandates
that will leave our air dirty, our roads congested, and our
transit stalled in its tracks."
Among the programs being cut:
A $4 billion cut from Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
(CMAQ) initiatives that are meant to reduce traffic and
pollution while ensuring mobility, forcing ill-equipped local
municipalities to cover the cost of Clean Air Act compliance.
A $5 billion cut from formula grants and research for public
transit. These studies are geared toward enhancing security,
planning, capital improvement, facility maintenance, and
operating expenses.
A $1.1 billion cut from Surface Transportation Enhancement
activities, one of the most popular programs. It funds historic
preservation, community development, and water pollution
mitigation.
A $100 million cut in transportation and community and system
preservation programs (TCSP), which aim to improve synergy
between transportation, community, and system development.
A $100 million cut to the Transportation and Finance
Innovation Act, which provides federal credit assistance to
major transportation investments of national importance.
###
