Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Friday, May 14, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC – Forming a united front with Senator Kit Bond in the fight for jobs and safer highways, a broad statewide coalition of Missouri labor groups, business groups, civic leaders, elected officials and construction organizations today urged Senate leaders to end the partisan politics delaying action on passing a six-year transportation bill.

"The state of Missouri is in desperate need of a new highway and mass transit bill," said a letter today from the Missouri coalition and Senator Bond to Senate Majority Leader Frist and Minority Leader Daschle.

"We cannot afford to let partisan politics to stand in the way of necessary transportation infrastructure. We respectfully request that you immediately appoint Senate Conferees and begin the process of negotiating a strong re-authorization of TEA-21."

"We need the Senate to permit a final bill to be negotiated. Our needs in Missouri and across the nation are great. We support the Senate-passed legislation, particularly the investment level of $318 billion. So again, we urge you to set aside any differences and immediately begin a conference with the House of Representatives to produce a new bill in the name of safety, jobs, commerce, congestion and the overall quality of life."

The groups signing the letter to Senate leaders ranged from the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO to the Mayors of Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia, to the Missouri Farm Bureau and the St. Louis Regional Business Council.

Bond has been working to pass a highway bill for more than a year and a half. It has been more than seven months since the current transportation funding bill expired, 12 weeks since the Senate passed its highway bill and five weeks since the House passed a highway bill.

Since then, the Senate has repeatedly tried to appoint conferees on the highway bill, but all attempts have been blocked by Democrats. In the Senate bill, Missouri is slated to receive approximately $1.4 billion in new dollars, or $233 million per year, for the state's transportation needs. The transportation bill will create an estimated hundreds of thousands of new jobs and an estimated 69,000 jobs for Missouri.

Two weeks ago, Senator Bond was presented with 43,000 signatures from across Missouri encouraging final passage of the transportation bill, legislation critical to Missouri's economy.