House Dems Agree: Climate Bill Can Help Pay for Greener Transportation
Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Tuesday struck a deal ahead of Friday’s make-or-break vote on climate change legislation to give greener transportation a place at the table. The climate bill gives the states 10 percent of its carbon emissions allowances, the total worth of which is projected to hit $70 billion by … Continued
June 24, 2009
Sen Boxer Seeks Rail Safety Funds after DC Crash
Mere hours after the Washington Metro system suffered a shocking accident, two senior senators released a letter to their colleagues asking for $50 million in grants to improve rail safety technology. The scene of yesterday’s D.C. Metro crash. (Photo: NYT) The letter was sent by two chairmen with a central role in transportation policy — … Continued
June 23, 2009
Flashback: Does the Government Owe Transportation $21 Billion?
Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN), chairman of the House
transportation committee, made an interesting
comment earlier this month in the Journal of Commerce:
June 23, 2009
Wonk Alert: Download Oberstar’s Transportation Bill in Full
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar's (D-MN) new federal bill, which he previewed Wednesday despite pushback from the Obama administration, is officially out.
June 22, 2009
New Report Quantifies Benefits of Adding Smarth Growth to Climate Bill
As a new non-partisan analysis of the House climate change bill -- proving that capping CO2 can save
money for the poorest fifth of the nation -- continues to make waves on
the Hill, it's worth noting that the legislation could yield even
greater savings by focusing on reducing transportation-based emissions.
June 22, 2009
House GOPers Propose Filling Trust Fund With Stimulus Money
As their committee's leaders butted heads
with the Obama administration, a group of Republicans on the House
transportation panel proposed to fill the $7 billion hole in the
nation's highway trust fund with unobligated money from the economic stimulus law.
June 19, 2009
A National Infrastructure Bank By Any Other Name …
The House transportation committee's new $450 billion bill provides for
a national infrastructure bank intended to "maximize the limited
resources available for our surface transportation needs," as the
panel's early outline puts it.
June 19, 2009
House Transpo Leaders United — in Frustration With the White House
Senior members of the House transportation committee today fired a warning shot at those pushing an 18-month extension of existing federal law, putting the Obama administration and key senators on notice that their $450 billion proposal would move forward this year.
June 18, 2009
Oberstar’s New Transportation Bill: Get The Highlights
Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN), the House transportation committee
chairman is set to brief reporters this afternoon on his $450 billion,
six-year federal transportation bill -- which he plans to pursue
regardless of the Obama administration's push for an 18-month extension of existing law.
June 18, 2009
Senator Boxer Likes LaHood’s 18-Month Highway Trust Extension Plan
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee and a key player in the federal transportation re-write, just released a statement hailing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s call for an 18-month extension of the existing transport law: I am very pleased that the White House is being proactive in working with the … Continued
June 17, 2009