Senate Reauthorization
Bill To Move To Senate Floor
April 22, 2005
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The Senate leadership has tentatively
agreed to begin debate on the TEA 21 reauthorization bill, SAFETEA (S. 732), on
the Senate floor as early as Monday, April 25. The bill that goes to the floor
would authorize $284 billion for federal surface transportation programs, including
$51.6 billion for transit, through Fiscal Year 2009.
The
Senate Finance Committee marked up the tax title of SAFETEA earlier this week
at the $284 billion level as expected. During the mark up, Committee Chairman
Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-MT) expressed strong
support for increasing overall funding in the bill. They noted that the Senate
approved an amendment to the FY 2006 Budget Resolution by an 81-19 vote allowing
for increased authorization levels if additional revenues can be made available.
Senator Baucus said he and Chairman Grassley would offer an amendment when the
bill reaches the Senate floor to increase trust fund revenues and the overall
funding in the bill. Both Senators called on the Administration to be flexible
on the funding issue so as to avoid the gridlock that prevented final passage
of the bill last year.
Currently, the leadership of the
Senate Finance Committee, in conjunction with the leaders of the Senate Environment
and Public Works and Senate Banking Committees, is negotiating on an amendment
to increase funding above the $284 billion level approved by the respective committees
in recent weeks. Under the current Senate bill, transit would receive 18.2% of
the total funding for transit and highway programs. APTA has been supporting efforts
by Senate Banking Committee leadership to restore the transit share of overall
funding to the 18.8% level in the TEA 21 reauthorization bill the Senate passed
by a 76-21 vote last year.
ACTION ALERT! It is critical
that APTA members contact their Senators immediately and urge them to support
Senate Banking Committee Chair Richard Shelby's (R-AL) and Ranking Member Paul
Sarbanes' (D-MD) effort to restore the transit share to that which was included
in the bill passed by the Senate last year - 18.8% of total funding. |
For further information, contact APTA's Rob Healy at 202-496-4811
or email rhealy@apta.com.
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