With
a mere two weeks left before the current band aid Highway Trust Fund extension
legislation expires, Senators and Congressmen seem more focused on political
game playing than they are on the closed door conference committee negotiations
which give the only hope for any legislative initiative beyond another episode
of kicking the can down the road. Last week Senate Environment and Public Works
Chairman Barbara Boxer pulled five concrete mixers onto the pavement at the
foot of Capitol Hill as a backdrop for her speech to a “get the bill done”
rally where she intoned, “There is only one group standing in the way of the
bill … That group of people that’s standing in the way of jobs and business –
those are the House Republicans. That’s the facts, and that’s the truth.” New
York Senator Charles Schumer was even less circumspect in his remarks in front
of the concrete trucks, referring to “a hundred House Republicans – militants,
radicals, extremists – who actually believe the federal government should not
be involved in highway building.”
Within
minutes, a press release from the other side of the aisle blamed Senate
Democrats for inaction on this most important economic legislation which has
been languishing for over three years in Capitol back rooms. House Transportation
and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica shot back with a reference to the pet
provisions House leadership wants included in any long term highway
legislation. Referring to House initiatives to cut back on environmental
protection and review for road construction projects, and specific fast
tracking of the Keystone XL Canadian tar sands oil pipeline, Mica’s release says
“I am disappointed in the fact that Senate negotiators have yet to move on key
House reform proposals …. In addition, the Senate appears unwilling to
compromise at all on the Keystone XL pipeline.”
Speaker
Boehner has already indicated he expects to see nothing more than another
temporary extension - six months this time – pushing back any opportunity for
leadership and a real solution to this major economic issue until after the
presidential election. Despite a letter from 17 transportation and construction
industry groups sent to all 47 conferees pointing out that the Highway Trust
Fund will run out of cash in early 2013 unless a long term reauthorization
measure with increased revenue sources is passed, Senators and Congressmen are
still putting their pet projects and reelection rhetoric ahead of the nation’s
economic and infrastructure needs. The industry groups made clear that the
Congressional tourniquet on infrastructure funding is causing gangrene in this
major sector of our economy: “A six month extension is not the way to go,”
their letter says. “This approach could further exacerbate the Highway Trust
Fund’s financial crisis and cause states to cut back on transportation investments
during what should be the peak construction season.”
Actually,
this is the fourth year during which state and local governments have been
forced to defer or cancel much needed infrastructure construction and repair
projects because of the uncertainty surrounding availability of federal motor
fuel tax revenues to pay for projects which are already approved. Several state
highway officials are already dealing with what the industry calls “hard stops
and starts” on jobs already underway – a very expensive and wasteful manner of
conducting any sort of construction effort. This monumental lack of
Congressional leadership on what should be a non-controversial issue is already
responsible for hundreds of millions in wasted taxpayer dollars at a time when needs
are growing while revenues are shrinking. There is no excuse for such behavior
in Washington.
