Transportation Bill Timing & Attack on Biking and Walking

The latest here in Washington is an update on the timing of the Transportation Bill and attacks on biking and walking programs.

First, we have been hearing that the Transportation Bill was likely to be out in about a week, but our newest intelligence is that it will be later. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will be releasing some white papers on the bill in the next few weeks with a related press conference highlighting key points. It is still possible that a bill will be out through a sub committee this month, but Majority Leader Hoyer has stated that the transportation bill will not hit the floor before the July 4th recess.  And on the Senate side, word is still pessimistic that there will even be a bill in 2009.

The second bit is that the House Republican leadership is unfortunately taking the position that all funding for Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and non-motorized transportation projects should be totally eliminated, saying that these projects are more appropriately funded by state and local governments. We are reaching out to Ohio and Virginia advocates (and encourage you to reach out to any contacts, friends or family you might have) in the districts of Rep. John Boehner (OH 8th - West of Dayton) and Rep. Eric Cantor (VA 7th - Richmond and North) why biking and walking are good investments.  An article is pasted below and you can also read the 22 page proposal at http://republicanwhip.house.gov/newsroom/6.4.09%20Budget%20Savings%20Proposal.pdf

Finally, we will be having our Federal Transportation Bill conference call next Wednesday, June 10th at 1pm EDT.  To join us for the call please sign up at:

Thanks!

Jeff


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Jeffrey Miller
President / CEO
Alliance for Biking & Walking
Formerly known as Thunderhead Alliance
PO Box 65150, Washington, DC 20035
202-445-4415 cell
jeff@PeoplePoweredMovement.org
www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org

House Republicans offer $23B list of spending cuts
June 4, 2009 5:11 AM ET
   
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Responding to a challenge from President Barack Obama, House GOP leaders are offering up a roster of more than $23 billion in spending cuts over the next five years.

The proposed cuts, which were to be sent to the White House on Thursday, bear little resemblance to the dramatic proposals Republicans unfurled when they took over Congress 14 years ago.

Rather than proposing, for example, the elimination of the Education Department, as they have in the past, Republicans are suggesting killing a program that pays for building sidewalks, bike paths and crossing guards as part of the Safe Routes to Schools program. That would save $183 million a year.

The Associated Press was provided an advance look at the plan, which flows from a White House tiff between Obama and House GOP Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.

In April, Cantor praised Obama for instructing Cabinet secretaries to produce $100 million worth of commonsense cuts this year. Obama's cuts were met with a lot of derision for being merely a drop in the bucket as the government faces extraordinarily large deficits, and Cantor said the president could do a lot better. Obama told him to come up with suggestions.

The result is a list of 37 specific program cuts that would save taxpayers more than $23 billion over the next five years and more than $5 billion in the first year alone.

Some of the GOP cuts haven't been estimated by federal scorekeepers and the party has padded its own estimate by assuming $317 billion over the next five years from limiting non-defense agency budgets to inflation-adjusted levels that Obama is sure to reject.

Other proposals include:
_$72 million a year in cuts to the Agriculture Department's Market Access Program that promotes the sale of brand name products overseas.
_Saving $833 million a year by eliminating federally funded transportation "enhancements" like landscaping, preservation of historic facilities, and pedestrian and bike facilities.
_Eliminating retirement benefits for federal workers who retire before age 62 to save perhaps $267 million a year.

"What we tried to do was come up with things that really are doable," Cantor said. "It's not like we're going to propose the abolition of the Department of Education."

Still, there are plenty of political proposals, including a move to abolish the $4 million budget of a House panel on global warming and to block federal employees who are union activists from being granted time to devote all of their work time to union activities.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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