Says Band-Aids Will Not Work

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ, 8th), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, today supported the second temporary extension of the TEA-21, which provides federal funds for highway and public transportation projects.  Pascrell expressed his extreme disappointment with the White House and GOP leadership's attempts to underfund the much needed transportation bill.

"We need to support this extension, but it is nothing more than a band-aid on a broken leg.  Possibly the most obvious error in the President's budget is the massive underfunding of the re-authorization of the transportation bill.  Republicans and Democrats on the Transportation Committee understand that we have real transportation needs in New Jersey and across the country and are asking full 6 year $375 billion reauthorization will meet our transportation needs.

"Transportation projects depend on predictability of funding.  Continuing to approve merely temporary extensions causes $2.1 billion in project delays and the loss of more than 90,000 jobs.

 "President Bush talks a good game about job creation. He has the chance to actually do something that will proof positive create jobs for working Americans, but what does he do? He misses the opportunity.  Every $1 billion invested in federal highway and transit spending creates 42,000 jobs. That's a fact.  Republican Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young knows this, that's why he supports a full 6 year $375 billion bill.  Not only will this improve our highways and mass transit, it will create millions of jobs." 

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