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Senate approves $318B highway transportation bill
Friday, February 13, 2004
The Senate voted 76-21 on Thursday to approve a $318 billion transportation bill.
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003, S.1072, funds the Indian Reservation Roads program. The amount would be $300 million for fiscal year 2004 and would increase by $25 million annually for the next five years. By 2009, the program would receive $425 million.
Tribal advocates are looking for higher amounts. The range they have been suggesting is $375 million to $500 million. Of the 55,000 miles of highways that run through tribal lands, more than half are unpaved, according to federal statistics, and of the nearly 750 bridges, about a quarter are deficient.
President Bush is threatening to veto the bill and its companion in the House. He claim it is too costly. The House version would cost $375 billion.
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Highway Bill Passes Senate, Faces Opposition From Bush
(The Washington Post 2/13)
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Senate Backs $318 Billion for Highways (The New York Times 2/13)
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Get the Bill:
S.1072
(Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003)
Relevant Links:
TEA-21 Reauthorization -
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reauthorizationTribal
Transportation, DOT -
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/natvamrc/index.htm
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