Cord Byrd: “I strongly support increased Federal infrastructure spending. This budget resolution, while providing for increased…”

“I strongly support increased Federal infrastructure spending. This budget resolution, while providing for increased transportation spending, does not provide as much infrastructure spending as I would have liked. During floor consideration of this budget resolution, I offered an amendment to provide for a reserve fund for highways that would allow for increased spending on highways above the amounts called for in the budget resolution so long as appropriate offsets are found. I believe that, once the Senate begins debate on the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act or ISTEA, there will be strong interest on the part of many Members on both sides of the aisle to find additional resources to produce a highway bill that is balanced and meets the transportation needs of all regions of the country. As such, I am very pleased that the conference agreement on this budget resolution includes a highway reserve fund that is effectively identical to the one provided for in my amendment.”