By Ron Thaniel
May 23, 2005

By a vote of 89 — 11 May 17, the United States Senate passed a six-year $295 billion reauthorization of federal transit, highway and safety programs through Fiscal Year 2009, despite warnings from the Administration that it may veto any measure over $284 billion.

The Administration has threatened a veto because the Senate bill would authorize $11 billion more than the White House has offered.

Just before final passage of H.R. 3, SAFETEA, (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005), the Senate rejected an amendment, by a vote of 84 — 16, to reject a measure by Senator Jeff Sessions (AL) that attempted to cut $10.7 billion in contract authority from the bill. His amendment included a number of important transportation programs to cities. Sessions attempted to bring the measure into line with the $284 billion contained in the Senate budget resolution.

In a letter to the Senate opposing the Sessions' Amendment, The Conference of Mayors with the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, and International City/County Management Association, stated "the Sessions' Amendment exacerbates state and local governments struggling with increasing congestion, crumbling and unsafe transportation infrastructure and federal clean air mandates."

Furthermore the letter said, "This occurs through the reduction of the Congestion of Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) by $4 billion, Transit Formula Grants and Research by $5 billion, Surface Transportation Enhancements by $1.1 billion, Transportation and Community and System Preservation Program by $100 million, Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act by $10 million, and Federal Highway Administration by $400 million."

Defying a veto threat, the Senate voted 76 — 22 May 11 to add $11 billion to the $284 billion transportation bill, including $8.9 billion for highways and $2.3 billion for transit, to provide a guaranteed total of $251.9 billion for highways, and $46.6 billion for transit.

The House passed its version of the transportation bill. H.R. 3, TEALU, (A Legacy for Users) March 10, endorsing the White House's funding limit of $284 billion. Yet, the Administration has also threatened to veto the TEALU because of a provision that would require states get at least 95 cents in aid for every dollar they pay into the Highway Trust Fund in Fiscal Year 2006.

The House and Senate bills must now go to a conference committee for resolution of noteworthy differences in the bills. The current extension of TEA-21 expires May 31. The last full six-year reauthorization expired in September 2003.

As U.S.MAYOR heads to press, neither the House nor the Senate has names of conferees.

A more thorough analysis and comparison of the House and Senate-passed bills, list of conferees and tentative conference committee schedule will be made available in the next issue of U.S.MAYOR.