Letter to The Honorable John Boehner Speaker-Designate of the House

Letter

Congressman Joe Courtney today sent a letter to Speaker-designate John Boehner opposing the incoming Majority's proposed change to the House rules that will undermine the Congress's commitment to the federal Highway Trust Fund. Courtney joins the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Trucking Association, the Associated General Contractors of America and the Laborers International Union in opposing the change, which has potential to further destabilize the building trade sector and devastate that workforce.
The full text of Courtney's letter is below:
December 30, 2010

The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker-Designate of the House
US Capitol
Washington, DC

Dear Speaker-Designate Boehner,

I write today to voice my serious opposition to the incoming Majority's new rules package, H.Res.5. Like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Trucking Association, the Associated General Contractors of America and the Laborers International Union, among others, I oppose the measure's provision altering Congress' commitment to the federal Highway Trust Fund.

As you know, prior Congresses made any bill that reduces funding to the Trust Fund below authorized levels out of order based on the clear need to maintain confidence and consistency to this essential priority of our nation. Enacted in 1998 as part of the multi-year surface transportation act, TEA-21, this rule ensured that user fees and revenue dedicated to the Trust Fund was fully utilized for infrastructure improvement, rather than being siphoned off for other purposes. It also provided the kind of certainty and stability in long term planning for major infrastructure projects needed by the industry and state and local government.

However, the new rules package undercuts this commitment by exposing the Trust Fund to the annual Appropriation process. By treating dedicated Trust Fund revenue and expenditures as all other general spending, it raises significant doubt about Congress's long term commitment to infrastructure investment at exactly the wrong time for this troubled industry. Rather than reversing over a decade of bipartisan consensus through the rules package, I believe that the new Majority should focus instead on enacting a multi-year highway authorization bill to address issues related to the Trust Fund.

The stakes are particularly high in the transportation building trade sector of the American economy in 2011. The unemployment rate in this sector is much higher than the rest of the economy and the ability of state and local government to fund critically needed projects is almost nonexistent. In Connecticut in particular we face a significant state deficit, and weakening the federal government's commitment to surface transportation projects would further devastate that workforce.

This new rule will do little other than weaken our country's efforts to create employment in a hard hit sector. At a time when so many in Congress -- including the new incoming Majority -- have stressed the need for stability in our economy, certainty in our finances and an emphasis on job creation and protection, this particular portion of the rules package is nothing short of counterintuitive to these important goals.

I certainly share your new majority's concern for the federal deficit and would gladly support the bi-partisan approach spearheaded by former President George H.W. Bush that created the most successful deficit reduction in modern era -- namely, pay as you go (PAYGO) budget rules. The enactment of this rule was a large part of the reason why we brought balance to the country's public finances on the late 1990s, and was accomplished without doing damage to the Trust Fund. I look forward to working with you on that type of approach which we know from prior experience actually can succeed.

Thank you for your consideration these concerns. Congratulations on your election as Speaker for the 112th Congress.

Sincerely,

JOE COURTNEY
Member of Congress

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