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Press Release Archive
April 2, 2004
Congressman Akin Stands for Fiscal Responsibility and Against Flawed Highway Bill
Washington, D.C. - Today Congressman Todd Akin voted for fiscal responsibility and against a flawed $276 billion dollar highway bill that would divert federal highway dollars into extraneous projects and open the door for higher gas taxes next year.
"Although I was pleased to obtain some funding for key projects in my district in the highway bill, I voted against the proposal because of basic flaws in the legislation which are fiscally irresponsible and a poor use taxpayers' money.
"Moreover, there is a disturbing level of unnecessary funding for non-highway projects, such as bike paths and museums that have nothing to do with America's critical transportation needs. And the excessive mass transit funding in the bill is completely disproportionate to our country's actual mass transit needs," said the Congressman.
Akin joined House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) in opposing the bill.
"Even though my colleagues and I who demanded that there be no gas tax increase were successful in preventing an increase in the bill that passed today, provisions in the bill provide for revisiting the issue next year," Akin said. "Tax increases overall are detrimental to the national economy, but are even more devastating to donor states such as Missouri that receive less money back in funding than contributed.
"Missouri has serious transportation needs, but when proposed solutions to those needs are dangerously flawed, they merit rejection," Akin concluded.
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