Rep. DeFazio’s Amendment Required to Be Withdrawn

This news came in late in the day from Transportation from America:

We received word this afternoon that Rep. DeFazio’s amendment that would have provided $2 billion in assistance to transit agencies was required to be withdrawn. We’ll post more as we learn it, but had something to do with parliamentary issues.

If you called Rep. Slaughter on the Rules Committee today, we thank you very much for your support and effort to get that crucial funding included in the economic recovery package. (And we point out that calls to her should no longer be made.)

Now the best hope for getting more funding for transit is Rep. Jerry Nadler’s amendment, which would add $3 billion for transit to the stimulus bill. T4A suggests calling the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (202-225-0100) and House Appropriations Committee Chair David Obey (202-225-3365) to say Nadler’s amendment must make it to the House floor.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

House Nixes Funding for Transit Service. Where Is Schumer?

By Ben Fried |
Chuck, what about keeping transit affordable? Last night’s news about the denial of Rep. DeFazio’s amendment to fund transit operations left us wondering whether parliamentary issues were really the deciding factor. In general, it appears, the Democratic leadership is coming down hard against any add-ons to the recovery package. "There’s a desire to keep the […]

Call to Action: Win Back Stimulus Funding for Transit Service

By Sarah Goodyear |
There’s a sense of urgency on the Streetsblog Network this morning. Transportation for America, using media reports of projected cuts to transit services across the country, has put together a map that dramatizes just how painful those cuts could be: The far-reaching and broad cuts will directly affect transit employees and riders who are among […]

Call Now for a Better Transit Stimulus

By Ben Fried |
We’re at a critical moment for green transportation in the stimulus package. The key piece on the table now is Jerrold Nadler’s amendment to boost transit investment by $3 billion. A decision could be reached as soon as today, so now is the time to make those phone calls. The people to reach are the […]

Schumer Proposes $6.5B More for Transit in Senate Stim Bill

By Ben Fried |
Senator Chuck Schumer has unveiled an amendment to the Senate stimulus bill that would increase transit funding by $6.5 billion — to $14.9 billion overall. This would direct $2.9 billion more to transit, in total, than the House stimulus bill that passed last week. For the wonks out there, transit funding would break down like […]

Call This Morning to Boost Transit Funding in Stimulus Package

By Ben Fried |
Last night Jerrold Nadler’s stimulus bill amendment, which would add $3 billion for transit, cleared the House Rules Committee. The full House may vote on the amendment by noon today, so the sooner you call your representative the better. Transportation for America sends along some key points to make in your phone call: In the […]

Watch Now: U.S. Reps Testify About Stim Package

By Ben Fried |
Check out C-SPAN’s streaming video of the House Rules Committee for a glimpse of our federal elected officials in action. The big coming attraction for Streetsbloggers is Jerrold Nadler’s amendment to boost investment in transit. As we go to press, Nadler is set to testify any minute. Rumor has it, the amendment has the backing […]