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September 22, 2005
The Honorable Christopher Bond
Chairman
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation,
Treasury, the Judiciary and Housing and Urban Development
United States Senate
133 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Bond:
On behalf of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and its more than 1,500 member organizations, I write to express our views on the disposition of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill (H.R. 3058) as the full Senate considers the bill.
But first, thank you for your leadership in developing and your support for the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Our members very much appreciate the federal investment for public transportation in that legislation, and we look forward to working with you as it is implemented through the appropriations process.
In that regard, the FY 2006 transportation appropriations bill was developed before SAFETEA-LU was completed, and thus does not fund new transit programs authorized under SAFETEA-LU, make important policy changes required by the new law, or provide the same overall level of funding for the federal transit program authorized and guaranteed under SAFETEA-LU. We accordingly urge the Senate to make changes needed to ensure that the FY 2006 transportation bill is reconciled with SAFETEA-LU and fully funded as it moves to the Senate floor and then to the conference committee. APTA firmly believes that SAFETEA-LU makes changes that better address infrastructure needs in the nation's transit and highway system, and that adequate investment in that system benefits the traveling public and serves as the foundation for a healthy and growing economy.
Again, our thanks for your excellent leadership on SAFETEA-LU. We look forward to working with you as you act on this important appropriations bill and as you address the transportation needs of the nation. We appreciate your consideration of our views. If you have questions about these issues, please have your staff contact Rob Healy of APTA's Government Affairs Department at (202) 496-4811 or email rhealy@apta.com.
Sincerely yours,
William
W. Millar
President
WWM/tjj
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