John W. Olver: “Mr. Speaker, the House and Senate versions of the Transportation- Treasury bill have substantial differences on a wide…”

“Mr. Speaker, the House and Senate versions of the Transportation- Treasury bill have substantial differences on a wide range of issues that we will have to reconcile in our conference negotiations, and some of those reconciliations will not be easy. Many of these, such as the differences in funding level for Amtrak and election reform are widely publicized and well known. The two versions of the Transportation-Treasury bill contain a number of issues that have not been as widely noted, but will have nevertheless a significant impact on people's lives. The motion to instruct that is at the desk and has been read this morning highlights just a few of those issues that I believe and we believe on this side deserve the attention of the conferees. First, the motion insists upon the Senate's funding level for Transit New Starts projects. The House bill provided $1.21 billion, more than $100 million below the Senate level of $1.32 billion, and even the Senate bill is in turn more than $200 million below the President's request. Under the House funding level, the Members on both sides of the aisle were not able to secure funding for many of the light rail projects in their districts.”