House passes bill to clear the books of old earmarks

Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar said the bill used “a common-sense approach” to dealing with projects that are complete or no longer viable.

The Associated Press

7/28/2010

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday voted 394-23 to pass legislation that will rescind hundreds of millions of dollars in old earmarks that have been sitting unused, sometimes for more than 20 years.

Introduced by Rep. Betsy Markey, the Surface Transportation Earmark Rescission, Savings, and Accountability Act will rescind more than $700 million of federal-aid highway contract authority for 309 member-designated projects from the surface transportation authorization acts of 1987, 1991, 1998, and 2005.

“I applaud those House members who supported these common-sense spending cuts,” said Markey. “Long-term economic growth and recovery can’t happen unless we cut wasteful government spending and tackle our exploding deficit. These old earmarks are a waste of taxpayer money, and I hope the Senate will move quickly to cut them.” 

Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar also said the bill used “a common-sense approach” to dealing with projects that are complete or no longer viable. 

“The bill is an effective and thoughtful means of achieving this policy objective and will save the government money by eliminating unnecessary project designations,” he said. “H.R. 5730 is one step in a continuing effort to find savings within programs under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.”

Specifically, the bill:

• Rescinds all remaining highway earmarks designated in P.L. 102-240, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA): $263.543 million for 154 projects; 

• Rescinds all highway projects designated in P.L. 105-178, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) that have not obligated at least 10 percent of the funds authorized for the project: $441.475 million for 152 projects; 

• Rescinds all High Priority Project program funds authorized by P.L. 109-59, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) that were not designated for use on a specific project: $8.190 million for one project; and 

• Rescinds all remaining highway earmarks designated in Public Law 100-17, the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987: $4.55 million for two projects.

The legislation also requires the Secretary of Transportation to submit an annual report to the House Transportation committee and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works identifying each project authorized under the high priority projects programs of TEA 21 or SAFETEA-LU that has inactive funds or has been completed in the previous fiscal year.  

Kevin Jones of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at kevinj@thetrucker.com.

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