This looks good on it’s face, but the devil is in the bi-partisanship.
Rep. Carney Leads Bipartisan Coalition of 111 members Urging President Obama to Support Six-Year Transportation Package
62 Democrats and 49 Republicans say long-term reauthorization will create jobs and jumpstart critical infrastructure projectsWASHINGTON — Today, Representatives John Carney (D-DE), Aaron Schock (R-IL), Jim Cooper (D-TN), and Patrick Meehan (R-PA) sent a letter to President Obama urging him to support a fully paid for six-year transportation reauthorization. More than 111 members signed it, including 62 Democrats and 49 Republicans.
The letter states that “short-term extensions fail to recognize that meaningful, large-scale transportation projects take years to plan, approve and implement.” States and contractors need a long-term bill in order to execute large projects and repair the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
With the construction industry facing an unemployment rate of 13.3 percent, the members said that “a modern, safe and efficient transportation authorization will not only create jobs now for the construction industry, but it will also set the table for long-term job creation and economic growth.”
The bipartisan group expressed their willingness to work with the Administration on funding options for a six-year authorization. The last Surface Authorization bill expired in September 2009 and has been temporarily extended eight separate times. The latest temporary extension is set to expire at the end of March 2012.
(emphasis added)
So here are the questions I sent to Mr. Carney’s office:
James,
Sounds good on the surface. Can you clear up some questions?
What are the funding options that Congressman Carney is looking at? Is “everything on the table” as Rep Carney has promised including veterans benefits cuts, Social Security benefits cuts? How many of the Republicans that Mr. Carney has rounded up for this have signed onto Gover Norquist’s pledge to not raise taxes under any circumstances? Is it really honest of Mr. Carney to say that everything is on the table when increasing taxes is clearly not on the table for the “bi-partisan” coalition?
Jason