Hello Friend,

We often say this campaign is a sprint followed by a marathon, and after the flurry of activity last week, it is certainly a little of both.  Representative Oberstar released his transportation bill last Monday, and the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), HR 2454, passed through the House on Friday.  The sprint will continue in the Senate as they aim to complete the climate change bill by next month: let's make sure we don't miss our opportunity to speak up for transformation.

Help us push for Senate support of CLEAN TEA (S. 575): ask your Senators to cosponsor this legislation that will create a more sustainable transportation future.  

Join your state call or the national call this Thursday to get the latest from the Hill and to give us any updates from the field.

Best,

Ilana Preuss

Report from Washington

Transportation Bill Release:
We are excited by Chairman Oberstar's leadership in releasing the bill last week, but there are still portions of the bill we want to see strengthened. Representatives Oberstar and DeFazio have urged other members and the public to bring forward any concerns or changes to the bill before it goes to full committee markup.  Check out our press statement and the breakdown of the bill, and help us continue pushing for a bill with National Transportation Objectives (HR 2724).


Climate Change:
On Friday, ACES (HR 2454) passed out of the House with nearly 1% of funding dedicated to lowering transportation emissions.  As the bill moves on to the Senate side for hearings next week, we want to strengthen the connection between transportation and climate change, and building Senate support for CLEAN TEA (S. 575) is a crucial way to do just that.  Use the resources on our partner website to call your Senator and ask them to cosponsor S. 575.

Partners in the News

A few days after both a draft of the transportation bill was released by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the climate bill was passed in the House, T4 America partners have been active across the country in pushing for a clean, 21st century transportation system. Smart Growth America released a report examining the effectiveness of the stimulus, while groups including Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund have been heavily involved the debate over the climate bill in Washington. Out in Denver, the League of American Bicyclists held the state's Bike to Work Day  last Wednesday, bringing out thousands of commuters who headed to work on two wheels.