Texas Transit Association

TEA 21 Reauthorization Update: Congressional leadership and the White House could not come to agreement on a reauthorization funding level, but House and Senate leaders intend now to go to conference anyway - which means the Democrats, concerned that any conference could result in lower reauthorization funding levels, may try in the Senate to prevent the conference from proceeding. If agreement cannot be reached, the possibility for a long-term bill anytime soon will fade rapidly. Watch for an 18 month or so extension of TEA-21.

to $275 billion as agreed to by the Bush Administration. But lawmakers say the $275 level is not good enough. Read this latest on transportation reauthorization.
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Education funding sits at the top of lawmakers’ minds in Austin, but transportation funding might eventually get a seat at the bargaining table.

An alliance of Texas’ largest metropolitan areas has crafted a transportation fund-raising proposal for legislators to consider while they debate public school finance methods. The key to the new measure’s political viability, supporters believe, is that it raises money for roads and rails without taking any money away from education.
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Republican lawmakers and the White House on Thursday April 29 were unable to come up with a dollar total for a much-delayed highway and transit bill touted as the biggest jobs and economic stimulus legislation Congress will consider this year.
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Seattle Times, April 29, 2004

The US House of Representatives voted yesterday (April 28) to keep federal highway programs running for two months while Republican leaders try to overcome White House resistance to a new bill that would significantly increase federal aid for the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

“This is an embarrassing time for members of the Transportation Committee,” said Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio, a committee member. “A bill that is supposed to improve traffic is now stuck in traffic.”

The House voted 410-0 for the two-month extension of the 1998-2003 highway and transit spending bill, and the Senate is expected to follow suit before spending authority expires tomorrow.

This would be the third extension of the six-year, $218 billion program that first expired in September. Since then, the Transportation Committee unsuccessfully pushed a $375 billion bill for the 2004-2009 period and the Senate passed a $318 billion bill. The House overwhelmingly passed a $275 billion bill this month.

But that version failed to pass muster with the White House, which has cited the need for fiscal discipline in a period of mounting budget deficits and has threatened a presidential veto of any legislation that exceeds $256 billion.

A coalition of area communities dedicated to improving public transportation and air quality in Tarrant County appears to be gaining momentum.

Watauga and Richland Hills are poised to be the latest cities to join the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition, a lobbying group that will seek state and federal money for the western half of the Metroplex. Bedford, Keller, Hurst, North Richland Hills and Southlake have already joined.
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