Will Stimulus Dilute Highway Bill?

Peter DeFazio and others on Capital Hill are concerned that the funding going towards highway construction and transit in the stimulus package may mean delays or worse for the upcoming $600 billion surface transportation bill.

1 minute read

February 13, 2009, 5:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur

"'I'm very worried about it,' said Peter A. DeFazio , D-Ore., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

'I think a lot of people are going to sober up a bit and they'll look at how much we've borrowed and it will be fiscal conservatism time,' DeFazio said.

The House version of the stimulus (HR 1) provides $30 billion for highways and bridges and $12 billion for transit, about equal to a year's worth of federal spending for surface transportation under current law (PL 109-59). The Senate's version is slightly less.

Some transportation advocates also fear that lawmakers will use the stimulus as an excuse not to rush completion of a highway bill, which could cost as much as $600 billion over five years."

FULL STORY: Highway Funding: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 in CQ Politics

Government / Politics Transportation United States Stimulus Package Surface Transportation

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