Here are a pair of legislative alerts posted Monday.
From Metro’s government relations staff:
U.S. Senate Finance Committee Poised to Act on Surface Transportation Bill
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate’s Finance Committee, under the leadership of Max Baucus (D-MT), is slated to consider the Highway Investment, Job Creation and Economic Growth Act of 2012. This legislation is designed to provide full funding for the transit, highway and safety programs that have been reported out of the Senate Environment and Public Works, Banking and Commerce committees. It is anticipated that over $10 billion in additional revenues will be needed to fund the two year surface transportation bill slated for full Senate consideration perhaps as early as this Thursday. Please click here for an overview of the Highway Investment, Job Creation and Economic Growth Act of 2012.
And from Metro CEO Art Leahy:
Metro Expresses Concern Regarding Congressional Plans to End Link Between Highway Trust Fund and Mass Transit Account
Today, I sent correspondence to the Chairman and Ranking Members of the House Ways and Means Committee expressing our agency’s concern regarding language in the recently adopted American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Financing Act of 2012 that would end the transfer of motor fuel taxes to the Federal Highway Trust Fund’s mass transit account. This language, if adopted into law, would compromise the longstanding practice of using motor fuel taxes to pay for federal transit projects and programs. We have shared a copy of our correspondence with all members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation. Our agency will be working with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American Public Transportation Association and other local, state and federal mobility stakeholders to oppose efforts by Congress to weaken the mass transit account. Please find here a copy of my correspondence on this matter.
Categories: Policy & Funding