House Defeats Provision to Efficiently Improve Road Safety

(Washington, D.C.)  The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) denounced the members of Congress who voted to strike down a section of H.R. 2989, the fiscal 2004 Transportation and Treasury Appropriations Act, that would have given states more leeway in how to spend federal transportation dollars.

“It is unbelievable that some members of Congress believe they know the transportation priorities and needs of individual states,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “This provision would have saved taxpayers money, and more importantly their lives by improving road safety.”

The provision was inserted into section 114 of H.R. 2989 by House Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ernest Istook (R-Okla.).  It eliminated the requirement that states set aside 10 percent of Surface Transportation Highway funds to be used for transportation enhancement activities, such as bike and running trails, transportation related museums, tourist centers, and landscaping along roads, trails, and waterways.  Rep. Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) offered an amendment to strike Istook’s reforms and it passed 327-90.

“While CCAGW opposes the use of highway funds for transportation enhancement activities, if Congress insists on such expenditures, it ultimately should be left to the states, not a federal formula, to decide how much money should be spent on these projects,” Schatz continued.  “When there are unsafe bridges and roads being traveled, the states should have the option of spending more money to fix them.”

In the United States, there are 163,010 deficient bridges, which amount to 28 percent of all bridges.  At this time the backlog of necessary infrastructure repair would cost $325 billion.  Meanwhile, the 10 percent requirement for transportation enhancement activities costs $600 million per year, money that could be used to repair dilapidated roads and bridges, thus making them safer.

“This is a clear defeat for taxpayers, especially as several members of Congress are suggesting raising the gas tax to pay for infrastructure repair,” Schatz concluded.  “Chairman Istook proposed a viable solution that would improve transportation without raisings costs at the pump.  Unfortunately, 327 members forgot the best interests of taxpayers when voting.” 

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.