Rep. DeFazio’s Amendment Required to Be Withdrawn

This news came in late in the day from Transportation from America:

We received word this afternoon that Rep. DeFazio’s amendment that would have provided $2 billion in assistance to transit agencies was required to be withdrawn. We’ll post more as we learn it, but had something to do with parliamentary issues.

If you called Rep. Slaughter on the Rules Committee today, we thank you very much for your support and effort to get that crucial funding included in the economic recovery package. (And we point out that calls to her should no longer be made.)

Now the best hope for getting more funding for transit is Rep. Jerry Nadler’s amendment, which would add $3 billion for transit to the stimulus bill. T4A suggests calling the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (202-225-0100) and House Appropriations Committee Chair David Obey (202-225-3365) to say Nadler’s amendment must make it to the House floor.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Call to Action: Win Back Stimulus Funding for Transit Service

By Sarah Goodyear |
There’s a sense of urgency on the Streetsblog Network this morning. Transportation for America, using media reports of projected cuts to transit services across the country, has put together a map that dramatizes just how painful those cuts could be: The far-reaching and broad cuts will directly affect transit employees and riders who are among […]

House Nixes Funding for Transit Service. Where Is Schumer?

By Ben Fried |
Chuck, what about keeping transit affordable? Last night’s news about the denial of Rep. DeFazio’s amendment to fund transit operations left us wondering whether parliamentary issues were really the deciding factor. In general, it appears, the Democratic leadership is coming down hard against any add-ons to the recovery package. "There’s a desire to keep the […]

Call This Morning to Boost Transit Funding in Stimulus Package

By Ben Fried |
Last night Jerrold Nadler’s stimulus bill amendment, which would add $3 billion for transit, cleared the House Rules Committee. The full House may vote on the amendment by noon today, so the sooner you call your representative the better. Transportation for America sends along some key points to make in your phone call: In the […]

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid of the House Transportation Bill

By Angie Schmitt |
When a House of Representatives committee passed a six-year transportation bill last Thursday, it marked a milestone in Washington’s efforts to pass a long term transportation bill at long last. Problem is, the bill stinks. Previous House transportation bills were non-starters because they blatantly attacked funding for transit. The extreme right-wing of the Republican Party is still trying to do that, but for the […]

Tell Your Senator to Support Transit and Green Jobs, Not Highways

By Ben Fried |
Update: Hold those phone calls, folks. Schumer has co-sponsored the Murray/Feinstein amendment, making it highly unlikely that he will offer his own, superior amendment. There are more amendments in the wings — supported by Senate Republicans and some surprising Democrats — that would give highway builders even greater leeway to build dirty, traffic-generating boondoggles. We’ll […]