White House Pushes Harder for Renewal of Expired Highway Programs
CQ
March 1, 2010
The Obama administration is ratcheting up pressure on Congress to pass an extension of highway programs that expired Sunday.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Congress must stop playing “political games” and pointed the finger at Sen. Jim Bunning , R-Ky., who at the end of last week repeatedly blocked attempts to move a bill that included a short-term extension for highway programs, among other things.
Without the authorization in place, Highway Trust Fund money can neither be collected nor spent. That means employees at the Transportation Department whose salaries are paid out of the trust fund will have to be furloughed.
Many highway projects around the country also must be halted because federal inspectors are being pulled off the job.
On Monday, LaHood said 2,000 employees had been furloughed already, primarily at the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
To turn up the political heat on Republicans, his office also released a state-by-state list of federal lands construction projects that are affected — a list designed to catch lawmakers’ attention. The projects span 17 states, as well as Washington, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
“This work stoppage of crucial transportation projects across the country is a clear demonstration of how Republican obstruction in Washington directly hurts American workers and communities,” said Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg , D-N.J.
Senate Republicans point out that House Democrats were responsible for stalling action on a Senate-passed jobs bill that also included an extension of highway spending authority.