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April 14, 2005
The
Honorable Daniel Akaka
S-141 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington,
DC 20510
Dear Senator Akaka:
On
behalf of the 1,500 member organizations of the American Public Transportation
Association (APTA), I ask that you encourage the Senate leadership to schedule
floor time as soon as possible for consideration of S. 732, the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005.
The
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) expired in
2003 and has been extended six times. As a result, capital projects and planning
efforts nationwide have been either delayed or deferred, costing our country thousands
of valuable jobs and lost economic activity. The current extension expires on
May 31, 2005. As spring arrives and the construction season begins, another temporary
extension into the summer could delay additional capital projects, adding to the
costs we have already incurred.
The
transit and highway reauthorization titles that make up S. 732 enjoy strong bipartisan
support in Congress, the transportation community, and with the public. However,
differences between S. 732 and the House’s reauthorization bill (H.R. 3) will
require negotiation in a conference committee. To avoid another extension, we
ask for your help in getting S. 732 to the Senate floor as quickly as possible.
Further, APTA supports additional funding increases for the federal transit and
highway programs that would restore the transit share of overall funding included
in the TEA 21 reauthorization bill which the Senate passed by a 76-21 vote last
year.
We thank you for your consideration
of APTA’s views. Should you have questions about these or other 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
April 14, 2005
The
Honorable Bill Frist
Office of the Senate Majority Leader
S-230 Capitol
Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Majority Leader
Frist:
On behalf of the 1,500 member
organizations of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), I ask
that you schedule floor time as soon as possible for consideration of S. 732,
the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005.
The
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) expired in
2003 and has been extended six times. As a result, capital projects and planning
efforts nationwide have been either delayed or deferred, costing our country thousands
of valuable jobs and lost economic activity. The current extension expires on
May 31, 2005. As spring arrives and the construction season begins, another temporary
extension into the summer could delay additional capital projects, adding to the
costs we have already incurred.
The
transit and highway reauthorization titles that make up S. 732 enjoy strong bipartisan
support in Congress, the transportation community, and with the public. However,
there are several differences between S. 732 and the House’s reauthorization bill
(H.R. 3) that will require negotiation in a conference committee. To avoid another
extension, we ask you to consider bringing S. 732 to the Senate floor as quickly
as possible. Further, APTA supports additional funding increases for the federal
transit and highway programs that would restore the transit share of overall funding
included in the TEA 21 reauthorization bill which the Senate passed by a 76-21
vote last year.
We thank you for
your consideration of APTA’s views. Should you have questions about these or other
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
April 14, 2005
The
Honorable Mitch McConnell
Office of the Senate Majority Whip
S-208
Capitol Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator
McConnell:
On behalf of the 1,500
member organizations of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA),
I ask that you schedule floor time as soon as possible for consideration of S.
732, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act
of 2005.
The Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) expired in 2003 and has been extended
six times. As a result, capital projects and planning efforts nationwide have
been either delayed or deferred, costing our country thousands of valuable jobs
and lost economic activity. The current extension expires May 31, 2005. As spring
arrives and the construction season begins, another temporary extension into the
summer could delay additional capital projects, adding to the costs we have already
incurred.
The transit and highway
reauthorization titles that make up S. 732 enjoy strong bipartisan support in
Congress, the transportation community, and with the public. However, there are
several differences between S. 732 and the House’s reauthorization bill (H.R.
3) that will require negotiation in a conference committee. To avoid another extension,
we ask you to consider bringing S. 732 to the Senate floor as quickly as possible.
Further, APTA supports additional funding increases for the federal transit and
highway programs that would restore the transit share of overall funding included
in the TEA 21 reauthorization bill which the Senate passed by a 76-21 vote last
year.
We thank you for your consideration
of APTA’s views. Should you have questions about these or other 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
April 14, 2005
The
Honorable Harry Reid
Office of the Senate Minority Leader
S-221 Capitol
Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Minority Leader
Reid:
On behalf of the 1,500 member
organizations of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), I ask
that you work to get floor time as soon as possible for consideration of S. 732,
the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005.
The
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) expired in
2003 and has been extended six times. As a result, capital projects and planning
efforts nationwide have been either delayed or deferred, costing our country thousands
of valuable jobs and lost economic activity. The current extension expires May
31, 2005. As spring arrives and the construction season begins, another temporary
extension into the summer could delay additional capital projects, adding to the
costs we have already incurred.
The
transit and highway reauthorization titles that make up S. 732 enjoy strong bipartisan
support in Congress, the transportation community, and with the public. However,
there are several differences between S. 732 and the House’s reauthorization bill
(H.R. 3) that will require negotiation in a conference committee. To avoid another
extension, we ask you to consider bringing S. 732 to the Senate floor as quickly
as possible. Further, APTA supports additional funding increases for the federal
transit and highway programs that would restore the transit share of overall funding
included in the TEA 21 reauthorization bill which the Senate passed by a 76-21
vote last year.
We
thank you for your consideration of APTA’s views. Should you have questions about
these or other 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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