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July 1,
2009 -- Senate
Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer
(D-Calif.) and ranking Republican Jim
Inhofe (R-Okla.) indicated June 25 their
support for an 18-month extension of authorization for the federal
highway and transit programs which expire on September 30, 2009.
The
EPW Committee leaders made their comments to Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood during a committee hearing on the status of stimulus funded
transportation projects. Sec. LaHood last week made a surprise
announcement that the Obama administration favors passing a short term
extension of authority for the transportation programs, and using that
legislation to provide additional revenue for the Highway Trust Fund to
ensure that sufficient revenue is available for states to pay for
on-going highway and transit construction projects.
Senators Boxer and
Inhofe both indicated, however, that they would not support the
Administration additional recommendation to include some of its policy
objectives in the short term extension.
At
a hearing in the House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee at
the same time, the bipartisan leadership of the committee said they do
not favor the short term extension and will continue to work to enact a
six year authorization.
The committee leaders indicted that a short
term extension would undermine the effort to create jobs and promote
long term economic growth that has resulted from the stimulus funding.
The committee leadership met separately with AGC and the transportation
community requesting our support of the long term extension.
-- Compiled from industry
sources
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