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Blumenauer Cosponsors New Highway Funding Bill

February 11, 2002
WASHINGTON, DC-- Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) is cosponsoring legislation that would restore $4.4 billion in highway construction funding, above the levels proposed in the President's budget request. The bill would give Oregon $50 million more in highway funds than the President's budget and would save 180,000 family-wage jobs across the nation.

The Democratic and Republican leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced the bill, H.R. 3694, late last week. Seventy-four members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have cosponsored the bill.

"During this time of economic difficulties, it is imperative that Republicans and Democrats join together to maintain transportation funding at current levels. Investing in our transportation infrastructure will avoid further job loss in Oregon and help make our communities more livable," said Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The bill was introduced in response to the $59.3 billion FY03 Department of Transportation budget that President Bush submitted to Congress last Monday. The Bush budget included a $9.2 billion decrease in overall highway spending and DOT's proposed budget asks for $24.1 billion for the Federal Highway Administration, down 28 percent from last year. H.R. 3694 amends TEA 21's requirements and sets highway program funding at $27.7 billion in FY 2003. This increase brings the highway program back up to the level that was anticipated when the highway funding formula became law in 1998. It is estimated that for every billion-dollar decrease in transportation funding 40,000 jobs are lost.

For more information on Congressman Blumenauer's work on transportation, visit his web site at https://www.house.gov/blumenauer/.