WASHINGTON, D.C. – Fulfilling a promise, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) has introduced legislation in the United States House of Representatives to temporarily address a shortage in the Highway Trust Fund.

On June 24, 2008, a provision to address the transportation shortfall was stripped away in order to ensure Senate passage of the FAA Reauthorization Bill. Boyda said, “It was a good, common sense fix that got caught up in politics.” At a press conference with Kansas Transportation Secretary Deb Miller on June 30, Boyda pledged to introduce new legislation to avert the transportation funding crisis.

Boyda’s bill, H.R. 6447, will reverse a transfer from the Highway Trust Fund to the U.S. Treasury in 1998. Boyda said, “There will be no additional expense to taxpayers to shore up the Highway Fund. The bill simply puts $8 billion back into the Highway Trust Fund.” Of that $8 billion, Kansas will receive about $120 million. This is funding that will enable the state to complete its Comprehensive Transportation Program on schedule, preventing what Secretary Miller called “a ripple effect on future projects.”

“This is a stop-gap measure,” cautioned Boyda. “There are additional concerns. We continue to work with an outdated policy. While Big Oil continues to receive billions of dollars in subsidies – at the expense of hardworking families – the 18 cent gas user fee has not been changed since the early 1990’s. Meanwhile, construction and maintenance costs continue to skyrocket. We need to have a conversation on how to provide a long term fix to the problem – it’s critical for not only our highways, but for our overall infrastructure.”

Kansas First District Congressman Jerry Moran has signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 6447.