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Tennessee Gets Boost from Added Transit Funds
 
May 9, 2000

Working with a key house subcommittee chairman and Tennessee Congressmen from both political parties, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp has obtained twice as much money to replace mass transit buses and vans in Tennessee than was originally proposed by the subcommittee.

 

At Wamp's urging, the amount of money the subcommittee provided for statewide bus replacement went from $4 million to $8 million.

           

"The money for new buses in Tennessee is badly needed," Wamp said. "Over one half of all the buses and vans operated in our state need to be replaced. Last year the bus replacement fund for Tennessee got no money, so this is an $8 million increase in one year."

           

The subcommittee also recommended $4 million for the Southeastern Coalition for Advanced Transportation (SCAT) to buy cutting edge-technology electric buses, some of which are made in Chattanooga.

           

"The SCAT funding to buy alternative vehicle buses is $500,000 more than was provided last year," Wamp said. "This will help buy cleaner, quieter buses in Tennessee and Georgia. It also helps provide jobs for Chattanooga because Advanced Vehicle Systems, based there, is a leading manufacturer of buses that are all-electric or powered by a mixture of electricity and clean burning natural gas or propane. Last, but definitely not least, developing this cutting edge technology helps reduce our dependence on expensive imported oil."

           

"I want to commend Congressman Frank Wolf, chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, for agreeing to my request Monday for more funds for this important project to buy replacement buses and vans," said Wamp, who is a member of the full Appropriations Committee. "As a member of the House Transportation Committee, Congressman Bob Clement played a big role in getting support on the Democratic side of the aisle. His leadership helped make the difference. And the hard work of Congressman Jimmy Duncan, also a member of the Transportation Committee, is a key reason we got this badly needed funding. This shows that good things happen for the people of Tennessee when we work together on a bipartisan basis."

           

Wamp noted that having the money included at the subcommittee level is the critical step in making sure that the funding is in the final bill.

 

Clement thanked Congressmen Wamp and Duncan for their leadership and joint, non-partisan effort in making this funding request a reality for all Tennesseans. "With our combined efforts, we were able to convince this subcommittee of the great need for federal funds for our bus program," said Clement. "I am very grateful for the help of both Zach and Jimmy in this endeavor."

 

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