September 27, 2004

A bipartisan trio of senators introduced a six-month extension of the surface transportation program September 21 at odds with a $299 billion proposal endorsed by Senate Environment and Public Works Chair and Chairman of the House-Senate Conference Committee James M. Inhofe (OK), Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (IL), and House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Don Young (AK).

Supporters of the six-month extension, including a growing number in the Washington transportation industry, argue that this will give conferees needed time to discuss the many unresolved policy issues.

Supporters continue to believe that the reauthorization should be authorized at the Senate approved $318 billion level providing the maximum funding for the highway, transit, and safety programs at the same time maintaining the historic split between these programs.

The six-month extension proposal was introduced by Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Chairman Christopher Bond (MO), Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Ranking Member Harry Reid (NV), and Senate Environment and Public Works full committee Ranking Member James M. Jeffords (VT). Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Chairman Richard C. Shelby (AL) and Ranking Member Paul S. Sarbanes joined as cosponsors Wednesday.

In an effort to bridge the funding gap, Young, proposed a $299 billion in contract authority and $284 billion in guaranteed funding level just prior to the August recess. Early this month Inhofe accepted the $299 funding level. It would include a rescission of $15 billion in existing contract authority. The Senate passed bill provides $318 billion in contract authority and $301 billion in guaranteed spending.

As U.S.MAYOR heads to press, negotiations on the bill and the length of the extension continues as the fifth extensions nears expiration. The fifth extension measure extends transit program through September 30 and highway program through September 24.

Mayors Urge Maximum Funding For Transit and Metro Infrastructure Investment

In a letter to House and Senate leadership and members of the transportation conference committee, Conference President Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic urged "no less than $318 billion over six years for reauthorization of the nation's surface transportation law (TEA-21) to build a 21st Century Transportation system with modern transit, bridges, large scale transportation infrastructure projects, and metro highway systems with new technologies that link major metro areas, cut the time people spend in traffic, create more jobs, and move goods and services more productively."

"Should Congress determine an extension is necessary to meet an investment of $318 billion over six-years, the nation's mayors urge the adoption of a simple extension of no less than six-months avoiding disruption to the transportation program occurring under short-term extensions," said Plusquellic.

Visit usmayors.org to view in detail the Conference's reauthorization priorities.