Update on Rep. DeFazio’s amendment for transit assistance
January 26, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
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 DeFazio’s amendment that would have provided $2 billion in assistance to transit agencies was required to be withdrawn.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.)
The facts haven’t changed on what could be ahead for the millions of Americans who depend on public transportation to get to work each day.
Transit systems all across the country are facing budget shortfalls due to the economic climate. And while ridership is at some of its highest levels of all time, transit agencies are facing job cuts, fare increases, and service reductions. The everyday Americans who make up the 20 million combined trips on the 38 systems we profiled today will be the ones who bear the brunt of the cutbacks.
The assistance for transit agencies certainly should not have been cut out in the first place. But without that funding, the message on the stimulus is clear: We can find the money to bail out financial institutions that were mismanaged or corrupt in some cases, but we don’t have the money for transit riders who are merely victims of a tanking economy.
While we’re disappointed that the amendment was withdrawn, we’re still urging everyone to call in support of Rep. Nadler’s (D-NY) amendment that would add $3 billion to the transit funding in the recovery package. That would bring the transit amount up to the level in Rep. Oberstar’s previous proposal. Amendments will be determined by Wednesday, so act now.
You can still find out more information on the Transit Cuts page.
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