NSSGA welcomes passage of HIRE Act
March 18, 2010NSSGA Chairman of the Board William E. Schneider, president and CEO of Knife River Corp., lauded the Senate for passing a long-term extension of the current surface transportation system until the end of the year. This includes the transfer of $19.5 billion into the highway trust fund to ensure its solvency during the extension and restoration of the funding rescission that took effect at the end of SAFETEA-LU on Sept. 30, 2009.
“It was the right thing to do for America and will bring a degree of certainty to the states that have been withholding highway project funds waiting for Congress to provide some stability to the system, not just one-month extensions of the current law,” Schneider said.
Schneider extended thanks to NSSGA members and NSSGA coalition partners for the joint grassroots efforts that ultimately achieved success in the passage of the HIRE Act.
Additionally, the legislation pays for these changes by crediting the Highway Trust Fund for the interest lost on the HTF balance since 1998, allows the collection of interest on the balance going forward and shifts the burden of the state and local gas user fee exemption onto the general fund.
Although the highway programs have now been extended, Schneider cautioned that efforts must continue on securing a multi-year highway reauthorization bill.
“With construction industry unemployment at 27.1 percent, this is just the start of what must be an all-out campaign for a long-term surface transportation reauthorization,” he said.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., issued a $500 billion multi-year bill in 2009. Action stalled when a financing mechanism could not be identified. The Senate Environment & Public Works Committee has begun a series of hearings on the surface transportation network. Chairman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., pledged to work on a multi-year bill after Congress approved a long-term extension. She has said that the Oberstar bill will serve as the basis for the Senate reauthorization bill and has asked for input from interested parties.
“NSSGA will continue to do all it can, working with its coalition partners, The Road Information Program, the Highway Users and other interest groups, for passage of a multi-year reauthorization bill that moves America’s surface transportation network into the 21st century,” Schneider said.
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