James Davis: “today I rise in reluctant opposition to HR 2400, the Building Efficient Surface Transportation and Equity Act (BESTEA).…”

“today I rise in reluctant opposition to HR 2400, the Building Efficient Surface Transportation and Equity Act (BESTEA). Quite simply, this bill is too much of a good thing. Infrastructure funding is critical for the economic future of our nation, but this bill goes too far and in doing so breaks the bi-partisan balanced budget agreement of last year. We should be debating an increase in transportation funding, but we should be having this debate first within the context of a budget resolution where we can analyze transportation needs relative to other critical domestic priorities. Above all, I believe we must keep to the spirit of the balanced budget agreement we passed last year. This year, we have a balanced budget for the first time in 30 years and today the House is being asked to pass a spending bill which blows a $40 billion hole in the budget. Clearly, our states have transportation needs that are significantly underfunded and I agree that we should be increasing federal funding for transportation. For my home state of Florida, this bill does help address the fundamental inequities in the current funding formula. Under current law, Florida receives an average of 77 cents for every dollar sent to Washington in gasoline taxes. BESTEA would increase this return to roughly 87 cents on the dollar.”