Schumer amendment in Senate could boost transit funding
February 2, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
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UPDATED: Sen. Schumer has the release posted on his web site now. Copy updated to reflect that below. Coverage of the Grand Central press conference today from Bloomberg News
Sen. Chuck Schumer and fellow New York Congressman Rep. Jerrold Nadler released a statement today detailing Sen. Schumer’s amendment to increase funding for transit in that chamber’s version of the economic recovery package. (Rep. Nadler authored the amendment that passed the House last week.)
Sen. Schumer’s 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 funding 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. This amendment would correct this imbalance, while also boosting the overall amount for transit.
You can read the full release here. An excerpt:
“Last week, we scored a major victory in Washington, as the House of Representatives approved my amendment to increase transit funds in the stimulus bill by $3 billion, bringing the total amount of transit dollars in the package from 9 billion to 12 billion. This additional funding would mean hundreds of millions more in transit money for New York, creating thousands of local jobs, protecting our environment through green projects, and improving public transportation across the region. These funds would go a tremendous distance toward stemming the advance of our deepening economic recession. And now, with the support of Senator Schumer in the Senate, we have taken one great step closer to realizing this essential goal.”
Schumer’s amendment would boost funding in the Senate version of the stimulus package by $6.5 billion, from $8.4 billion currently in the bill to $14.9 billion. Specifically, Schumer’s amendment would increase funding in the transit capital pot from $8.4 billion to 10.4 billion, add $2 billion for rail modifications, and $2.5 billion for New Starts. The last two funding increases would match funding in the House bill.
Contact your Senator today to send a message. Tell them to support increased transit funding — and Sen. Schumer’s amendment — in the Senate package.
Let them know that this is exactly the kind of spending you want to see in the stimulus package — spending that can boost the economy while investing in long-lasting infrastructure that will help us meet our national goals of improved infrastructure, less oil dependence, and lower emissions.
You can check back here or with Streetsblog NYC for more breaking news on the Schumer amendment and transit funding in the Senate bill.
Economic Recovery Package Is First Step in Rebuilding 21st Century Infrastructure
January 29, 2009By Transportation for America
| Download this Release (.pdf) | ||
| Contact: David Goldberg 202-412-7930 david.goldberg@t4america.org Ben Grossman-Cohen 202-478-6185 bgrossman-cohen@mrss.com |
Washington — Shelley Poticha and Geoff Anderson, Co-Chairs for the Transportation for America campaign, today issued a statement in response to this evening’s vote on the House Economy Recovery and Revitalization Act:
“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.
Many provisions in the House bill serve to put Americans back to work and set the stage for the green energy future President Obama has repeatedly called for. For example, the bill includes $12 billion in funding for public transit including $2.5 billion to build new capital transit projects introduced as an amendment by Reps. Nadler (NY), DeFazio (OR), Lipinski (IL), McMahon (NY), Ellison (MN) and Perlmutter (CO) today, and supported by House leadership, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA). This emergency funding could not come at a better time for transit agencies facing unprecedented challenges — including record number ridership as well as budget cuts — during this economic downturn, and will go a long way to creating jobs and stimulating the economy.
We also applaud the groundbreaking transparency measures included in the House bill that will ensure recovery funds are properly monitored for fraud and conflicts of interest.
As the economic recovery negotiations move to the Senate, there are several remaining challenges left unanswered by the House that the Senate must address in their version of the bill. This includes adding criteria to ensure road and highway funding is prioritized for fixing our crumbling infrastructure. Without explicit language prioritizing a fix-it-first approach to infrastructure investment written into the legislation, federal funds could be wasted by adding new highways to a system already fraught with repair needs, and we will simply be digging ourselves a deeper hole of oil dependence even as investments elsewhere in the bill seek a way out.
Transportation for America calls on leaders in the Senate to increase funding for transit to the $12 billion passed by the House of Representatives and to ensure that strong accountability provisions for how transportation funds are used are included in their version of the bill.”
Nadler amendment passes overwhelmingly
January 28, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
Updated: With quotes from speakers
Rep. Nadler’s amendment passed, adding $3 billion to the transit funding in the House stimulus package this afternoon.
On C-SPAN at least, it was hard to hear any “nays” on the voice vote. Nearly everyone spoke in favor of the amendment, and it passed with only a voice vote. No roll call required.
There was strong support from Appropriations Chairman Obey, Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Oberstar, and moral support from the only opponent.
The only opposition was from Jerry Lewis: “If there were an offset, this is an amendment I could very much support.”
John Mica, the ranking Republican on the T&I Committee said, “the Nadler amendment is one we have to support. … What’s most offensive is they [the appropriations committee] took one of the most important parts out for rail and transit, actually cut it down. Let me tell you, that’s just a little bit of money. … Folks, this is about creating jobs, and every billion dollars we put in is 28,000 to 35,000 jobs.”
Rep. DeFazio, who co-sponsored the amendment and offered an amendment that would have extended operating assistance to transit agencies had this to say: “We’ve had the greatest one-year increase in riders in 50 years. Transit agencies have $160 billion in deferred maintenance. 12,000 buses … need to be replaced. Transit agencies have 10,000 options for buses made in America that can’t be executed.”
Several speakers mentioned the need for emergency operating assistance without saying it directly.
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.
It’s not over yet, with the vote on the stimulus package yet to come, but this was a big victory.
Photo of Rep. Jerrold Nadler from America2050.org
Support Rep. Nadler’s amendment on transit funding
January 27, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
UPDATED: It passed! Thanks for all of your efforts and calls made. It passed with a voice vote and nearly zero vocal opposition. Find out more here.
After a flurry of activity over the last two days, the amendment offered by Rep. Jerrold Nadler to add $3 billion to the transit funding in the House Economy Recovery and Revitalization Act has cleared the Rules Committee and will reach the floor for a vote, possibly as early as Wednesday at noon.
Click for information on making a call
Thanks to everyone who has helped thus far, either by calling on behalf of DeFazio’s (withdrawn) amendment or calling House leadership.
But it’s not over yet. This is our last best chance to change the substance of the stimulus package in the House.
Now that it has made it to the floor, 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. The window is potentially very short, with only a few hours for action!
Tell your Reps to support the amendment offered by U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter DeFazio (D- OR), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Michael McMahon (D-NY) to increase transit capital funding. Specifically, the amendment would provide $1.5 billion in funding for transit capital improvement program and $1.5 billion for the New Starts Program, raising the total funding level for transit and rail in the recovery bill to $12 billion.
In the poll released a few weeks ago by Transportation For America and the National Association of Realtors, fully 80% of respondents said that stimulus funds should not only create jobs, but also help us meet the goals of reducing oil dependence, improving the environment and increasing transportation options. Now is the time to increase much needed funding for public transportation.
Transportation For America has identified more than $5 billion in new transit extension and rail projects that could be ready to go in 120 days, generating over 178,000 new jobs. These investments could put people to work building and operating rail cars and bus vehicles, in the steel and concrete industries and in design and planning professions.
You can also use these talking points from the National Association of City Transportation Officials, via Streetsblog:
Transit is the future of our nation’s metropolitan regions which represent 80% of the US population. Public transit ridership has been surging over the last year, but instead of capitalizing on the public demand for more and better transit, cities are being forced to curtail service and cut jobs.
These modest adjustments will result in far-reaching impact on mobility, pollution reduction, and economic stimulation in metropolitan regions.
Discuss the transit need in your city and the fact that federal resources for transit can absolutely be spent within the timeframes set out by the bill.
Click for information on making a call
(Image from Metro Transit. Thanks to SOTA for sending it in.)
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- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
March 8, 2010 - Transit riders in Atlanta face massive cuts, “wholesale restructuring” of service
March 5, 2010 - Opposition to Senate extension results in looming shutdown of federal transportation programs
February 26, 2010 - T4 jobs proposal would create nearly half a million jobs, according to Economic Policy Institute
February 17, 2010 - Obama’s 2011 budget gives a lift to livability and transportation
February 2, 2010
- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
The United States of Transit Cutbacks
Driving is down and transit ridership is at record highs. Yet transit agencies across the country are considering layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes. Find out more and learn what you can do to help at t4america.org/transitcuts
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