Sens. Boxer, Inhofe make push for short-term transportation bill extension

{mosads}“One of the best ways to spur job creation and economic
recovery is through infrastructure investment,” Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
and James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the chairwoman and ranking member of the
Environment and Public Works Committee, respectively, wrote in a letter to
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) of Nevada and Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell (R) of Kentucky.

“That is why a longer-term extension of the surface
transportation program is so important to maintaining our nation’s vital
bridges, roads, public transportation and other related infrastructure,
restoring our economy and creating good jobs for American workers.”

Five senators joined Inhofe and Boxer in signing the letter:
Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Richard
Shelby (R-Ala.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas).

For Boxer and Inhofe, the transportation bill offers an
opportunity to come together after recent tension over climate legislation.
Inhofe led a boycott of the committee markup of the bill sponsored by Boxer and
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) that would cut carbon emissions by 20 percent from
2005 levels by 2020.

Republicans said they wanted a fuller analysis of the bill’s
potential costs from the Environmental Protection Agency. Democrats said GOP
members just wanted to stall the bill.

Congress has been unable to agree on how to extend the
existing highway bill. The House has pushed for a new $500 billion, six-year
transportation bill, a big increase over the current authorization.

Boxer, Inhofe and others in the Senate have pushed instead
for an 18-month extension of the current transportation legislation. At an
impasse, Congress has maintained transportation programs through short-term
extensions in continuing resolutions.

“Short-term extensions mean less money is available for states,
and do not provide states the certainty they need to keep crucial
transportation projects moving forward,” the letter states.

The senators are now pushing for a six-month extension of
the current highway bill.

The cooperation between Boxer and Inhofe went beyond roads
and bridges. The two were among a bipartisan group of senators that released
the Economic Development Revitalization Act of 2009 on Tuesday. The act would
reauthorize the Economic Development Administration, which provides development
grants to communities with high levels of economic distress, at $500 million
per year until 2013.