Transportation for America Partners,

See for yourself: Access the full text of the bill on our coalition partner website, or take a look at our analysis of the bill and a comparison of several proposals. Coalition Partner Website Resources Username: t4apartner Password: tea4usa08 America Recovery and Reinvestment Act Talking Points for Calls to Congress "Dear Colleague" Letter to Congress Proposal Analysis & Comparison

Yesterday the House leadership unveiled the economic recovery bill and we feel it has fallen short of its potential. In particular, it reduces funding for transit and rail from Congressman Oberstar's proposal, which we support. At this critical time, we can't afford to invest in a half-hearted effort.

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-4) is one of the many voices calling for the right kinds of investments. He has created a "Dear Colleague" letter to Congressional Leadership encouraging them to include funding for mass transit in the economic stimulus package.

Will you ask your local Senators and Representatives to appeal to Congressional leadership and ensure that we make the right investments in our future by supporting Oberstar's proposal? For House members, please ask them to also sign on to Representative Johnson's "Dear Colleague" letter that recognizes the need to fund public transit.

What We Like in the House Recovery Bill:

We support the strong accountability measures, provisions for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and funding for regional governments (Metropolitan Planning Organizations).

What We Don't Like:

We believe the bill is lacking in several key areas:

• The bill doesn't specify that highway and bridge funds should by prioritized for maintenance and repair rather than new capacity. Our top priority should be to care for existing infrastructure.
• The bill reduces funding levels for transit and inter-city rail in comparison to Congressman Oberstar's proposal from $17 billion to $10.1 billion.
• There are no provisions for transit operating assistance, which could lead to fare hikes, lay-offs and additional service cuts for cash-stapped transit agencies.

Call your Senators or Representatives today and ask them to pressure Congressional leadership to make necessary improvements to the bill in support of Congressman Oberstar's proposal. You will find Talking Points, a side-by-side comparison of Oberstar's proposal with the House bill and more resources on our coalition website.

We need a more balanced recovery that will address our most pressing needs while proposing creative ways to get our economy back on track. This is a unique opportunity to get the American economy moving in the right direction with better jobs, more options for all citizens affected by this crisis, and a cleaner, brighter future. 

Thank you,
Ilana Preuss
Outreach and Field Director