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New House Rules Threaten TIGER and Livability Programs
The headlines have been apocalyptic.
January 7, 2011
MTA Finances Grow Even Shakier Under GOP House
The assault on the MTA's already battered finances could now come from yet another front: the federal government. The new Republican majority in the House of Representatives passed a rule Wednesday that would allow reductions in federal transportation spending, including investment in transit. That puts previously secure federal funds on the negotiating table, making it that much harder for the MTA to balance its books.
January 7, 2011
Mica Names New GOP Transpo Committee Members, Rahall Officially Top Dem
Update: We just learned that Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) has been confirmed as the new Ranking Member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
December 16, 2010
Mica Confirmed as Transpo Committee Chair
Rep. John Mica (R-FL) was confirmed today as the next Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
December 8, 2010
House Punts on Budget, Votes on Yearlong Extension Instead
Back in February, the Department of Transportation requested a two percent budget increase for next year (FY 2011). [PDF] The extra $2 billion would pay for things like a new Distracted Driver Prevention Program, high speed rail, and livability grant programs.
December 8, 2010
What the GOP Spending Rollback Would Mean for Transportation
Back in September, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), now Speaker-elect, told Good Morning America he wanted to “pass a bill this month at 2008 spending levels – you know, before the TARP, before the bailouts, before the stimulus – and let’s put some certainty in the economy.”
December 7, 2010
GOP Demands a Stop to Stim Spending. What Will It Mean for Rail Projects?
The incoming Republican head of the Appropriations Committee wants to take back stimulus funds promised to states and localities for much-needed infrastructure programs, including more than $6 billion in transportation funding. High-speed rail projects would take an especially big hit under the plan.
December 1, 2010
Rahall Responds, Says His Transpo Record Is About More Than Just Highways
Earlier this month, we reported that Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) was in the running for Ranking Member on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in the House. We mentioned our alarm that his ideas about transportation seemed limited and road-centric – specifically, that his website’s issue page on transportation mentioned only highways, water, and broadband. Got us wondering what he thought about bike-ped access and transit.
November 30, 2010
The Power of the Pursestrings Shifts to a Livability Denier in the House
The transfer of power in the House of Representatives gives transportation reformers plenty to wring their hands about. The loss of James Oberstar was a shock, and folks are still synthesizing what it means to have John Mica in charge of the next transportation bill.
November 11, 2010
Could a Coal-n-Highways Dem Take Oberstar’s Place on Transpo Committee?
Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) is reportedly angling for the top Democratic seat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House. Had Jim Oberstar survived the election, he would have given up the chair and become the ranking member.
November 10, 2010