In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Susan Collins joined a number of her colleagues in urging the Senate leadership to ensure that the continuing resolution for FY 2007 provide the funding levels guaranteed in the Highway Bill, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which became law in August 2005.
“It is imperative that we spend the resources necessary to ensure that all of us are traveling on roads, bridges, and highways that are as safe as possible,” said Senator Collins. “Failure to provide the funding guaranteed in the highway bill would significantly reduce revenue available to states, like Maine, to address critical highway and bridge needs.”
Following is the full text of the letter:
Dear Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell:
We write to strongly urge that the upcoming funding resolution for the remainder of fiscal year 2007 supports Congress’ commitment to invest in America’s transportation infrastructure and ask that the Continuing Resolution include the funding levels consistent with the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). We fear that if the commitments made in SAFETEA-LU are not honored, our States will face major economic disruption that will cost jobs, delay safety improvements and stifle economic growth.
As you know, SAFETEA-LU programs are supported by dedicated user fees which Congress has provided special status in the budget to protect the funding levels specified in authorizing legislation. American taxpayers should not be denied from receiving the benefits of the monies that they paid into the Highway Trust Fund.
Beyond the principle of protecting the budget status of program levels paid for by users, these programs are highly beneficial. The Administration has estimated that roughly 47,500 jobs are created for every billion dollars of transportation infrastructure investment. So, a reduction from FY 2007 SAFETEA-LU highway and transit levels to FY 2006 appropriated levels will result in a loss of approximately 190,000 construction jobs. And, in addition, there would be lost economic benefits and personal mobility benefits from our having passed up important infrastructure investments.
In recent years, transportation construction inflation has been high – far above the Consumer Price Index. So, a failure to provide the FY 2007 program levels called for in SAFETEA-LU would represent a very significant cut in the program in real terms. Simply put, the SAFETEA-LU dollars have not been able to “go” as far as Congress initially expected. Maintaining FY 2006 funding in FY 2007 will exacerbate that problem.
SAFETEA-LU program funding has always enjoyed broad bipartisan support. In early 2006, the Administration proposed the full SAFETEA-LU funding level for FY 2007. Later in 2006, with bipartisan support, the FY 2007 SAFETEA-LU level was included in the transportation appropriation bills passed by the House and reported by the Senate appropriations committee. So, in calendar 2006 both the Congress and the Administration supported including the full SAFETEA-LU highway and transit program levels for FY 2007 in the FY 2007 appropriations legislation.
We urge that the funding resolution provide funding for the Department of Transportation’s highway and transit programs at the levels called for in SAFETEA-LU.
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