Ask Congress to Pass $375 Billion Highway & Transit Funding Bill!

01/28/2004

Good roads cost money, but bad roads cost more
Congestion is affecting our quality of life and costing our nation $67 billion a year and most importantly, more than 42,000 people die and 3.3 million are seriously injured each year on our roads and highways, with nearly one-third of all these fatal crashes due to substandard road conditions and roadside hazards. Thirty two percent of U.S. major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and twenty eight percent of our bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

HR 3550, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (TEA LU) bill text
On November 19, 2003, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee introduced their TEA-21 (Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century) reauthorization bill, called "Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users", in which transportation funding will increase significantly in all 50 states to address national congestion and safety problems. It's a huge package, calling for $375 billion over the next six years, compared that to $218 billion authorized by TEA-21 in 1997. It will increase federal funding for highway projects to $298 billion, and increase transit funding to $69.2 billion from 2004 to 2009. The legislation will also create more than 1.7 million new jobs in the transportation sector and related industries over the next six years. Click here for detailed bill summary

The National Grange has supported this particular legislation and stated its position in the "Legislative Blueprint for Rural America 2004" as one of the action plans for transportation improvements that protect rural freedom of mobility:

"Support comprehensive, multi-year, federal surface transportation legislation that would benefit rural America, through highway construction, rural highway and bridge maintenance, highway safety and mass transportation."

Immediate Action Needed
The previous six-year funding bill (TEA-21) has expired on September 30, 2003 and the program is now operating under a five-month extension, which is effective through February 29, 2004. Unless Congress acts to reauthorize TEA-21 by February 29, the highway program will remain unstable - funded only through short-term, inadequate "extension bills". Without a multiyear reauthorization bill, there is no way to guarantee stable future highway funding levels. Businesses that depend on transportation will not be able to hire employees and buy equipment; state transportation departments will not be able to develop the robust long-term highway improvement plans needed to move people and freight.

HR 3550 is scheduled to come before the full Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in next few weeks. Please call/write your Senators and Representatives to urge them to co-sponsor HR 3550, TEA LU.

Contact information for U.S. House Representative

Contact information for U.S. Senators

If you have any questions or comments please contact Legislative Research Analyst Chil-Sook Hwang by fax: 202-347-1091 or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109. Thank you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative program.

Want to Subscribe To The New Grange? For all subscription and circulation inquiries, Contact: Jonathan Hill.