CO-SPONSORS NEEDED FOR TEA LU!
January 20, 2004
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On November 19, 2003, the leadership of the House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee unveiled a $375 billion, six-year TEA 21 reauthorization
bill that authorizes $69.2 billion for the federal transit program. The bill,
H.R. 3550, is called the "Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users"
(TEA LU). While not yet marked up by the Committee, TEA LU supports APTA's
key reauthorization recommendations: grow the program; maintain the funding
guarantees; and expedite program delivery.
Under the TEA LU bill, annual authorized funding levels for the transit
program are as follows: FY 2004: $8.2 billion; FY 2005: $9.7 billion; FY 2006:
$10.9 billion; FY 2007: $12.2 billion; FY 2008: $13.4 billion; FY 2009: $14.8
billion. The bill generally retains TEA 21's program structure and ratios,
and includes some new programs, including the high-intensity small urbanized
area formula program in APTA's reauthorization proposal. The bill is a home
run for the federal transit program.
We need to support the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's effort
to advance this important legislation. Step one is to get as many co-sponsors
on the bill as possible. Every APTA member organization needs to ask their
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 3550. Explain
the benefits of TEA 21, how it helped your transit system meet capital and
service needs, and how it produced benefits for your customers. Tell them
about your local transit infrastructure needs and remind them that H.R. 3550
would significantly grow the federal investment in transit, and that preservation
of the TEA 21 funding guarantees is absolutely essential to transit's future.
Please do not delay. We need you to call or write your House Members today!
Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Don Young has said that he would
like the Committee to mark up TEA LU on February 5 and take the bill to the
House Floor soon after that date.
| ACTION CALL!
Contact the members of the U.S. House of Representatives in your
congressional delegation and ask them to become co-sponsors of H.R.
3550, the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (TEA LU).
It is important to get as many co-sponsors as possible on the bill
to show broad congressional support for its passage. Please act now!
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For further information, contact APTA's Rob Healy at 202.496.4811 or rhealy@apta.com.
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