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AAA Urges Senate to Pass Pro-Transportation Budget

21 May 1997

AAA Urges Senate to Pass Pro-Transportation Budget

    WASHINGTON, May 2l -- AAA today urged the U.S. Senate to
restore higher funding levels for highways as it takes up the budget bill
passed last night in the House of Representatives.
    The House-passed budget resolution would spend $12 billion less on
highways over the next five years than will be collected from motorists in gas
taxes over the same period.  A proposed amendment to the resolution, sponsored
by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee, lost by just two votes early Wednesday morning.  The amendment
would have restored the $12 billion in highway user fees that will now be
diverted by the budget agreement to additional general fund spending.
    "The transportation portion of the House bill is bad for the country and
it is very bad news for motorists," said James Kolstad, AAA vice president for
public and government relations.  "Americans are paying taxes into the Highway
Trust Fund every time they fill up their gas tanks.  They deserve to have
their tax dollars go toward road and bridge improvements and not be hoarded in
a 'no-trust' trust fund in Washington."
    Last year AAA launched a nation-wide campaign, "Crisis Ahead: America's
Aging Highways and Airways" to call attention to the nation's deteriorating
transportation infrastructure and to urge corrective action.  According to
Federal Highway Administration documents, one-third of the nation's highways
are in poor or mediocre condition and a fourth of the bridges are substandard.
    "Today, the Senate is debating its budget resolution.  Senators Warner
(R-VA) and Baucus (D-MT) plan to offer an amendment similar to Chairman
Shuster's in the House.  Fifty-seven Senators have signed a letter to Senate
Budget Committee Chairman Domenici urging that at least $26 billion per year
be spent on highways.  AAA calls on all Senators to support the Warner-Baucus
amendment and vote to invest motorists' gas taxes in highways, bridges and
safety," Kolstad said.
    AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 99 motor clubs with more than 1,000
offices providing more than 39 million members in the U.S. and Canada with
travel, insurance, financial and automotive services.

SOURCE  American Automobile Association