Oberstar: No Delay for Transportation Bill

Leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee vowed June 18 to push forward with a new surface transportation bill despite a call from the Obama administration to put the process on hold for 18 months.

Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the transportation committee, declared the proposed delay “unacceptable.” 

“That puts a Damocles sword of uncertainty over the future of transportation,” Oberstar said at a news conference to introduce a detailed outline of a bill he hopes will overhaul nation's transportation policy and restructure the Department of Transportation. Committee work on the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 will begin next week.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed delaying the launch of a new six-year transportation spending bill during a meeting with Oberstar on Wednesday. In lieu of a new bill, the administration would support existing programs at their current level.

A delay would cause states to steer federal money, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, into small transportation projects instead of bold, multi-year efforts that would improve the infrastructure, Oberstar said.

“Delay causes uncertainty, will restrict the scope of projects, and when the stimulus money runs out, states will have to act under their 80-20 programs,” Oberstar said. “We have the prospect of creating 6 million new jobs over the six years of this program, or lose a million jobs with delays.”

Oberstar said that forming transportation policy is within Congress' purview. He left the door open for further negotiations on the bill with the DOT and White House.

“We are an independent body of government co-equal with the executive branch, and its partner,” Oberstar said. “If that partnership is going to change the future of transportation, they have to come and talk to us.”

“We are committed to work together in a bipartisan fashion. We are ready to go forward together come hell or high water,” said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., the ranking Republican on the transportation committee.

Mica stressed the importance of the bill for jobs creation, and said the administration's apparent unwillingness to move forward is not a impediment.

“Never underestimate Oberstar and Mica,” Mica said. “They underestimated us on water resources. My administration underestimated us on passage of Amtrak reform."