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Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation

7/11/2011



Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

House GOP budget/Mica proposal would cut 140,000 public transportation jobs, Democrats say


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House Republicans’ budget plan and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica’s (R-Fla.) six-year, $230 billion surface transportation proposal would cut current levels of public transportation funding by one-third and eliminate 140,000 jobs, ranking Democrats believe, according to an American Public Transportation Association (APTA) legislative alert.

Last week, Mica announced his outline for the six-year authorization proposal, which he said would adhere to the fiscal constraints as outlined by the House budget resolution passed earlier this year. Mica’s proposal calls for $230 billion in funding over the six years, or about $35 billion a year. The funding represents a one-third cut from current levels and a 19.5 percent decline compared with the $286 billion SAFETEA-LU measure.

Although Mica said the proposal would align spending with Highway Trust Fund revenue, streamline wasteful spending and reduce government bureaucracy in federal transportation programs, ranking Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee believe the proposal is a “missed opportunity to address the nation’s infrastructure deficit, jumpstart economic growth and put Americans back to work,” according to APTA’s alert.

In addition, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Chairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) released an analysis that showed the House-passed budget plan and Mica’s proposal would eliminate more than 140,000 jobs due to cuts in public transportation funding, the alert states.

According to the analysis, states facing the biggest losses include: New York, which would lose $646 million in transportation funding and 24,241 jobs; California, $468 million and 17,565 jobs; Texas, $243 million and 9,112 jobs; Illinois, $181 million and 6,793 jobs; and Florida, $138 million and 5,183 jobs.