Transportation, Housing And Urban Development, And Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010--Resumed
Floor Speech
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010--Resumed -- (Senate - September 17, 2009)
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FUNDING ALLOCATIONS
Mr. REED. Madam President, I want to thank Senator Murray for her leadership on this bill and her commitment to funding improvements in our Nation's housing and transportation infrastructure. I rise to engage the chairman of the subcommittee in a colloquy to clarify the State-by-State allocation of Federal-Aid Highway Program funding, which is shown in the committee report.
Mrs. MURRAY. I would be pleased to enter into a colloquy with the Senator.
Mr. REED. I thank the Senator. As I noted, page 46 of the committee report includes a table that shows the estimated State-by-State obligation limitation for Federal-Aid Highway Program funding. This information was prepared for the Appropriations Committee by the Federal Highway Administration based on current law and the funding level provided in this bill. It is my understanding that this table is designed to be illustrative rather than determinative of actual funding levels. Could the Senator confirm that this understanding is correct?
Mrs. MURRAY. The Senator is correct. The table included in the committee report is illustrative and does not direct the actual distribution of the funds provided under this bill.
Mr. REED. I thank the Senator, and I appreciate that clarification. As the Senator knows, I had been concerned because the table indicates that the State of Rhode Island is one of only two States, along with Maine, that would lose funding under the increased appropriation included in this bill.
I have consulted with the Federal Highway Administration, which has produced a new estimate based on more accurate assumptions. That table has been shared with the Appropriations Committee staff. Rather than a decline of over $5 million, this estimate shows an increase of nearly $6 million for the State of Rhode Island. In addition, no State is shown to lose funding in fiscal year 2010.
Would the Senator agree that this new table is a more accurate depiction of the distribution federal highway funds?
Mrs. MURRAY. I agree that the table the Senator refers to reflects the Federal Highway Administration's current estimate of how Federal-Aid Highway Program funding included in this bill would be distributed under current law.
Mr. REED. Again, I thank the chairman for her leadership on this bill and for her help in clarifying this matter. For the benefit of all senators, I would ask unanimous consent that the Federal Highway Administration table we have discussed be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
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