NACE Alert!

Contact your Senators to Urge Support the Baucus-Grassley-Murray Trust Fund Proposal

URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT
Contact your Senators today and urge them to support the Baucus-Grassley-Murray $8 billion Highway Trust Fund Proposal in the must-pass Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Extension bill.

REASON
The Federal Highway Trust Fund is on the verge of becoming insolvent. Federal funding for state and local transportation programs will fall by more than 30 percent in FY2009 if Congress does not act quickly to restore a projected multi-billion funding shortfall. Cuts in transportation funding will result in job losses and undermine state and local governments ability to improve safety, relieve congestion and protect the environment..

HOW TO SEND YOUR MESSAGE
Visit the NACo website to determine the email address of your Senator. http://capwiz.com/naco/dbq/officials/  Then send the following or similar personalized letter via email to your Senator.

Dear Senator (Name):

As a constituent and member of the National Association of County Engineers, I urge your support for the Baucus-Grassley-Murray proposal to replenish the Highway Trust Fund  when the Senate considers the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Extension Bill (H.R. 3540), expected this week..

The Highway Trust Fund faces a short fall of several billion dollars in FY 2009. Congress must act quickly to prevent catastrophic program cuts to state and local transportation programs of more than 30 percent, from $41.2 billion this year to $27.2 billion next year.  

These cuts could not come at worse time.  They will result in job losses totaling 380,000.  Moreover, rising materials costs and falling revenues are placing an ever greater strain on state and local governments’ ability to improve safety, relieve congestion and improve aging roads, bridges and public transportation systems. 

The Baucus-Grassley-Murray proposal will transfer $8 billion from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund to ensure sufficient funding to keep the Trust Fund solvent, funds which were previously taken from the Trust Fund. Because the proposed transfer is intergovernmental, the Congressional Budget Office indicates that this fix does not constitute a spending outlay, and thus would not violate pay-go.

Thank you for your continued support for our nation’s public infrastructure.

Sincerely,
(Your Name and Address)

BACKGROUND
Forecasts indicate a shortfall of several billion dollars to the Highway Trust Fund in FY 2009, the last year of SAFETEA-LU. In addition, the Federal Highway Administration recently reported that estimated miles traveled on U.S. public roads dropped 11 billion miles between March 2007 and March 2008, the first year-to-year reduction since 1979. As Americans drive less and purchase less fuel, the Highway Trust Fund’s shortfall will continue to worsen.

The upcoming Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extension bill, expected to be considered in the Senate as early as this week, provides an opportunity to fix the Highway Trust Fund. FAA taxes and expenditure authority expire June 30, and Congress must pass an FAA extension before then. (posted 6/18/08)