Give it back

With all but one of the 75 members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on board, House transportation leaders have already gathered more than 230 co-sponsors of a bill to authorize federal highway funding for FY 2003 "at least" at the level authorized by TEA-21.

In a letter to colleagues, Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) and Ranking Minority Member James Oberstar (D-Minn.), and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) and Ranking Minority Member Robert Borski (D-Pa.) urged members to cosponsor the Highway Funding Restoration Act.

The letter notes that the bill would restore funding for the federal-aid highway program to the level authorized in TEA-21, some $27.6 billion. The President's budget proposal asked that highway funding be reduced from current levels by 27% to a level of $23.2 billion.

Identical legislation has been introduced in the Senate and is supported by every member of the Senate authorizing committee.