UPDATE: Look for a list of amendments on the docket at the bottom. Obviously, things are moving very fast in the Senate today. Here is a summary of a mix of rumor and fact as of 1 p.m. EST if you’d like to follow more closely: The Inhofe amendment — to take unspent stimulus funds [...]

Sen. Kit Bond has offered two amendments to the Senate’s stimulus legislation that would raid other funds and direct them to the highway funds. The highway funding is already at $27 billion, with most of coming via a blank check to state DOT’s with zero accountability for prioritizing backlogged repair or outlining what it should accomplish. More highway funding is not what we need right now.

Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Jerrold Nadler released a statement on Senator Schumer’s amendment to increase funding for transit in the Senate economic recovery package. Sen. Schumer’s planned amendment would boost transit funding from $8.4 billion up to $14.9 billion, with additions to the vital program (New Starts) that would provide funds for new, ready-to-go transit projects across the country. Currently, the House version has $2.5 billion for New Starts, where the Senate version has zero.

“The passage of the Economy Recovery and Revitalization Act in the House of Representatives this evening marks a significant achievement for the new Congress. Transportation for America applauds the House’s efforts to bolster and stimulate America’s struggling economy, in part by shoring up our transportation system to meet our nation’s 21st Century needs.

Rep. Nadler’s amendment passed, adding $3 billion to the transit funding in the House stimulus package this afternoon. Thank you to everyone who called and weighed in on this amendment with your Reps. From everything that we heard from sources on the Hill and with leadership, our broad base of support and the many calls and meetings made a difference in getting this amendment to the floor and garnering the support of House leadership.

The amendment offered by Rep. Nadler to add $3 billion to the transit funding in the House Economy Recovery and Revitalization Act will reach the floor for a vote, possibly as early as Wednesday at noon. Now, we need votes! We are asking all of you to call your Representatives and urge them to support this amendment that will add desperately needed funds to the transit portion of the House recovery package.

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.

Perhaps you’ve already seen the news in your local paper. Even as ridership is spiking — perhaps even the highest of all time — your local transit system is talking about having to cut service, raise fares, or even lay off workers to cope with the struggling economy. We’ve created a map compiling the potential and proposed cuts to public transportation systems in 38 communities across the country.

As Congress takes up debate over an economic stimulus package, a new poll shows that most Americans would rather use federal dollars to repair highways and bridges and improve public transportation than expand highways through new construction. A majority says funded projects should advance national goals, such as energy independence, in addition to creating jobs.

The American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment proposal coming out of the House Appropriations Committee today fails to move America forward in reducing our oil dependency, creating opportunity for all Americans, and making us competitive for the 21st Century economy. The House Appropriations has two key shortcomings, especially in comparison to the superior proposal put forward last week by Congressman Oberstar, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.