UPDATE: House Approves 3-Month Authorization Extension; Does Not Address Rescissions
UPDATE: Here’s the latest (and it is changing minute to minute). The House bill, H3617, is a three month extension of SAFETEA-LU without a repeal of the rescission. It was calendared to be heard today, but was pulled from the calendar because of a lack of support for the three month time frame.
The Senate has a bill ready, but not yet filed, with an eighteen month extension and a repeal of the rescission. I hear the White House supports this bill.
I am told the hang up on repealing the rescission is the price tag, as the money would have to come from another source or contribute to the deficit.
Congress must pass something by September 30 or SAFETEA-LU ceases to exist, so there is talk of adding a one month extension (without repeal of the rescission) to the House’s FY2010 Fiscal Appropriation Continuing Resolution which has to pass by the 30th. That bill has not been filed yet either, but when it is, I will include a hyperlink here.
Click here for the letter from High Point
Click here for the letter from Charlotte
Click here for the Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro MPO letter
Click here for letter from Fayetteville
Click here for sample letter to Congressional Delegation from Greensboro
Click here for a copy of the letter from the City of Concord
Click here for the letter from the NC Assoc. of MPOs
Click here for a copy of the letter from Sec. Conti
North Carolina is slated to lose $249 million of unspent Federal Highway Program funding effective September 29th if Congress does not act before then. SAFETEA-LU (federal surface transportation authorization legislation), which expires September 30, 2009, includes a provision for a major rescission of Federal High Highway Funds. (A rescission is a cut in previously approved funding levels taken out of unused.) This cut will be made on September 29, 2009 if Congress does not act to eliminate the rescission provision.
This loss will affect all federal highway funding programs and represents a 27% reduction in North Carolina’s annual federal highway fund appropriation. In addition, the funds also encompass the STP DA funds that are directed at urbanized areas over 200,000. Below is a table representing the potential hit to those cities:
North Carolina
Asheville $1,008,869
Charlotte $3,345,647
Durham $1,310,415
Fayetteville $1,258,380
Greensboro $1,219,750
Raleigh $2,465,722
Winston-Salem $1,362,750
Total $11,971,533
We are strongly encouraging you to write and call the North Carolina Congressional Delegation and ask them to eliminate the rescission. The clock is ticking as the rescission is effective in just over a week. Please act quickly.
