A bill authored by Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) that calls for the elimination and redirection of $700 million in unspent transportation earmarks towards reducing the federal deficit overwhelmingly passed the House 394-23 today.
Pushing for “common-sense spending cuts,” Rep. Markey’s bill is supported by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD).
The bill comes at a time when Rep. Markey, a vulnerable Democrat in this year’s midterm elections, could be attempting to curry favor with voters unhappy with the increasing federal deficit. Still, Rep. Markey urges her fellow lawmakers to exercise a sense of fiscal responsibility and “especially with regards to transportation funding.”
A new transportation funding bill will be debated in the House later in the week.
Read the story here.
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