By Kevin McCarty
November 7, 2011

Conference of Mayors President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa with the nation’s mayors continues to press Congress to sustain and expand federal investments in the nation’s infrastructure, especially transportation infrastructure.

These mayoral efforts have been directed at enacting the President’s “American Jobs Act,” which places a high priority on increasing federal infrastructure spending, and securing strong funding commitments in pending aviation and surface transportation renewal legislation.

In the wake of the Senate’s unsuccessful effort to enact the infrastructure element of the President’s “Rebuild America Jobs Act,” Villaraigosa and mayors are now focusing on Senate efforts to renew the basic federal surface transportation law. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee led by Chairman Barbara Boxer (CA) and Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (OK) have taken a leadership role in crafting bipartisan surface transportation legislation, which is expected to win unanimous (or near unanimous) support of the panel members during a November 9 markup session.

This bipartisan proposal, known as “MAP-21,” will authorize more than $85 billion over two years in funding for the highway, bridge and safety programs under the committee’s jurisdiction.

Mayors hope that this committee’s action will build momentum for bipartisan agreement within other Senate panels with jurisdiction over parts of the law. One crucial panel is the Senate Finance Committee, which is charged with approving legislation to provide the necessary revenues to support the authorized funding levels; its actions will dictate total spending on highway, bridge and transit systems over the life of the bill.

Currently, the SAFETEA-LU law and its programs operate under an extension that expires March 31, 2012. Villaraigosa is now urging mayors to talk with their Senators, hold press events and take other actions to build strong support for prompt action on this legislation.

Prior to the Senate’s vote on the Rebuild America Jobs Act, Villaraigosa, as Conference of Mayors President, wrote to Senators to urge support for the President’s $60 billion infrastructure plan. In his November 2 letter, he writes, “Infrastructure investment, with an emphasis on transportation infrastructure, is an area where there is overwhelming public support for action. Traditionally, it is an area of strong bipartisan consensus in Congress.”

“The ‘Rebuild America Jobs Act’ will provide vital investments for our nation’s future prosperity, while creating new jobs and expanded economic benefits today. We strongly urge your support for this critical legislation when it comes before you this week,” Villaraigosa wrote on behalf of the Conference of Mayors.

On a 51-49 vote, the Senate failed November 3 to garner the 60-vote majority needed to begin action on the “Rebuild America Jobs Act” (S. 1769), legislation that funded $60 billion in infrastructure commitments from the Administration’s Jobs Act.