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 Energy and Transportation

NCSL AFI Energy and Transportation Committee

A similar letter was sent to members of the Senate and House.

February 20, 2002

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

RE: S. 1917 and H.R. 3694, "Highway Funding Restoration Act"

Dear President Bush:

On behalf of National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) we urge your administration to support
S. 1917 and H.R. 3694, the "Highway Funding Restoration Act".

Potential reductions in FY2003 federal highway funding must be avoided. As the nation moves toward economic recovery, we must collectively support programs that maintain or boost employment and simultaneously address public infrastructure needs. S. 1917 and H.R. 3694 accomplishes this by tempering a potentially destructive reduction in highway funding created by TEA-21's revenue aligned budget authority (RABA) estimates.

Without the enactment of S. 1917 and H.R. 3694, states will delay or cancel road projects. Reductions in FY2003 funding could also affect financing obligations states have incurred. Job losses are imminent with delayed or canceled projects - a counter-cyclical likelihood unless Congress overcomes the negative RABA estimates.

Given our staunch support for TEA-21, we further offer to work closely with you to develop modifications to the guaranteed funding for transportation programs that would address downward funding swings such as that projected for FY2003. For additional assistance, please have your staff contact Michael Bird in NCSL's Washington, D.C. office at 202-624-8686 or michael.bird@ncsl.org. Thank you for consideration of the concerns of NCSL.

Respectfully,

NCSL Contacts: Michael Bird, Eileen Doherty, Laurie Holmes