Republican proposal to reduce transit funding and deprive Metro of $191 million in funding is turned back in Congress

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I haven’t posted much on efforts in Congress to write and/or pass a new multi-year transportation funding bill because very little — besides a lot of bickering and stalling — has happened in the past three months.

Here’s the latest update on a vote that didn’t move the ball forward, but prevented it from rolling backward — specifically, a vote against a Republican proposal to drastically cut transit funding that would have deprived Metro of $191 million.

Here’s the update from Metro’s government relations staff:

Vast Majority of Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation Votes Against Broun Motion to Instruct that Would Have Cut $191 Million in Federal Funding for Metro

Earlier today, a strong majority of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation voted against a motion to instruct offered by Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA) that sought to cut federal highway and transit funding by nearly 25% in Federal Fiscal Year 2013.

Adoption of the Broun motion to instruct conferees into law would have resulted in a cut of over $191 million for our agency during Federal Fiscal Year 2013. Specifically, the Broun motion to instruct sought to limit total “funding out of the Highway Trust Fund” in Fiscal Year 2013 to the amount that the Congressional Budget Office currently projects will be deposited in the Trust Fund under current law tax rates (plus interest on balances).

During the past week, our Government Relations staff and Federal advocates have been informing members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation of the severe negative impact the Broun motion to instruct conferees would have on our agency. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also opposed the Broun motion to instruct and authored a letter to all House members sharing that, “Cuts of this magnitude would eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs, would curb critical safety programs and would cause a substantial portion of transportation projects to be shelved.”

Of the 53 Members of Congress from California, five voted in support of the Broun motion to instruct which would have cut $191 million in federal transportation funding for our agency; U.S. Representatives John Campbell (R-48), Darrell Issa (R-49), Tom McClintock (R-4), Dana Rohrabacher (R-46) and Ed Royce (R-40).

Categories: Policy & Funding

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8 replies ›

  3. How can that be said of Ed Royce when Metro does serve the very district he works for? The 39th includes Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, Walnut and they many people use the buses to get around. Never mind the many bike lanes that are in the LAC bike plan that can be implemented through those funds.

  4. Rep. Ed Royce represents the 40th Congressional district (mainly northern and western Orange County) which Metro barely serves. Why would he vote for Metro if Metro doesn’t even serve his constituents to begin with? The closest thing Metro has that gets into his Congressional district is Metro Bus 460 which goes to Disneyland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CA-40th.gif

    Chances are that unless you reside in his congressional district, Rep. Ed Royce isn’t even going to show up in your ballot in November.

  5. I made the ride decision in not voting for Ed Royce. Come November, hopefully he’ll lose his seat.

  6. Ron: Of the 53 members of the California Congressional Delegation in the U.S. House, four did not vote (Cardoza, Filner (who is in the run-off for San Diego Mayor), Lewis, and Roybal-Allard). The over-all bill failed on an 82-323 vote with 26 Not Voting.

    So of the 53, the final vote tally was 5 yeas – 44 nays – 4 not voting

  7. @Ron What’s worse than those who were absent or didn’t vote is the fact that Ed Royce who represents a district in Southern California voted IN FAVOR of the motion. Shame.

  8. How many members of Calif Congressional were ‘absent’ or didn’t vote?