Committee on TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE U.S. House of Representatives	Democratic  News
Room 2163 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC  20515 Telephone 202-225-4472	Rep. James L. Oberstar, Ranking Democratic Member

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                     Contact:  Jim Berard

Thursday, September 5, 2003                                                                                                                                                        (202) 225-4472

 

 

House Votes to Preserve Enhancements

Oberstar, Petri join forces to head off appropriations cut

 

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WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives late Thursday voted overwhelmingly to preserve funding for transportation enhancements under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century (TEA 21).  The House approved an amendment offered by Highways, Transit, and Pipelines Subcommittee Chairman Thomas Petri (Wis.) to the FY2004 Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act.  The Petri amendment removed from the bill language to eliminating the mandatory enhancements under TEA 21.  Enhancements may include projects such as bike trails and historic preservation.

 

Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Ranking Democrat on the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, strongly supported the Petri amendment.  During debate, Oberstar pointed out that the enhancement program traces back to TEA 21’s predecessor, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA).  Oberstar said when the 1991 act was being fashioned, the committee held hearings to determine how best to invest federal transportation dollars in the post-Interstate highway era.

 

“We found that Americans wanted more out of their transportation experience than simply getting from Point A to Point B.  They wanted to use the Interstate system to get to their destination, but then to enjoy a quality of life, to enjoy more of America’s historic, archaeological, cultural, scenic treasures,” Oberstar told the House.  “And the way to do that was to open a new vista within our transportation program, to use some of the dollars that those very travelers and visitors had invested in the Highway Trust Fund, to improve and enhance their quality of life.”

 

The final vote was 327-90 in favor of the Petri amendment.  Every Democratic Member of the House supported the amendment.

 

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