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unlikely to support any kind of Highway bill this year. He said that the members of these <br /> groups are opposed to the forces that will be crafting the legislation: a GOP-controlled <br /> Congress and the Bush administration. "Unlike the environmentalists, we will be there in <br /> the end," Cohen said. "We have to make the case we should strengthen the integrity of the <br /> Highway Trust Fund." <br /> Still, even if the Highway Users finally get on board, the road gang and its champions <br /> on Capitol Hill will be in a difficult fight. Despite the opposition and obstacles, they <br /> are optimistic that they will prevail. "I always believe I can win anything," Young <br /> recently told National Journal. But victory will in large part hinge on both the road <br /> gang's effectiveness and its eventual size. CongressDailyAM <br /> > From: HEUSER Jason P <jason.p.heuser@ci.eugene.or.us> <br /> > Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 10:26:13 -0700 <br /> To: SULLIVAN Mike C <Mike.C.SULLIVAN@ci.eugene.or.us>, <br /> > "'kirk@sda-inc.com <kirk@sda-inc.com> <br /> > Subject: FW: latest on TEA-21 <br /> > <br /> > Kirk, sometime today if possible, could you update this info below <br /> > (circa 5/22 I think) with any new update on the prognosis of a TEA-21 <br /> > package within this calendar year? <br /> > Mike Sullivan, working on our courthouse projects, could use an update <br /> > very dearly, so please "reply to all" here. I apologize for not <br /> > looking into an update directly myself by phone, but today is an <br /> > end-game sort of day for a priority one bill in Salem that I've been <br /> > working on all session and I just don't have the time for any more <br /> > than this email today. <br /> > thanks!! --Jason <br /> > National Journal <br /> > TRANSPORTATION <br /> > Stop Gap TEA-21 Bill May Become Necessary, Young Warns <br /> > Congress may be forced to pass a one-year stopgap reauthorization <br /> > of the nation's transportation programs instead of a comprehensive <br /> > overhaul <br /> > because of unresolved funding and policy issues, House <br /> > Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Young warned Tuesday. <br /> > In an interview with CongressDaily, Young also took aim at the <br /> > Bush administration's reauthorization proposal for the Transportation <br /> > Equity Act for the 21st Century, dismissing the plan to essentially <br /> > flat-line federal transportation spending as "a joke" because of <br /> > burgeoning transportation needs. <br /> > While stressing that he would prefer to pass a single TEA-21 <br /> > reauthorization package this year, Young acknowledged that there is "a <br /> > strong possibility" that ongoing disputes between the committee and <br /> > House GOP leadership over how to pay for the bill could necessitate a <br /> > temporary authorization, similar to one enacted in 1996 when Congress <br /> > last took up the issue. <br /> > House Majority Leader Delay and other GOP leaders in the House <br /> > thus far have opposed Young's plan to "index" the federal gasoline by <br /> > tying it to the rate of inflation, charging such a scheme would result <br /> > in an increase in the tax. On the issue of funding, Young said that <br /> > while no agreement has been reached with Delay and other GOP leaders <br /> > on how to increase spending, there has been some movement on the <br /> > issue. <br /> > "I believe they know there's a necessity for a bill" and that <br /> > leadership would like to find a way to increase transportation funding, <br /> > Young said. <br /> > Committee staffers also are looking at other options to pay for <br /> > spending increases, including fees on tires, car registrations and some form <br /> > of miles traveled fee. <br /> > The committee is also looking into possible public-private partnerships <br /> <br /> > to build toll roads, such as the Dulles Greenway in suburban Virginia. <br /> 4 <br /> _ <br /> <br />