Senator Boxer’s Statement on “Unworkable” House Republican Plan to Fund Highway Trust Fund

Washington D.C. – Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the statement below in response to a memo sent by House Republican leadership to House Republican caucus members late Friday outlining a plan to use revenue from eliminating Saturday mail service as the primary method of funding the Highway Trust Fund for a period of months.

Senator Boxer said:

“Late Friday, Republican leaders of the House came out with a strange plan to ‘rescue’ the Highway Trust Fund for a few months. Instead of working with Democrats to come up with a sensible user fee which has been the foundation of the Highway Trust Fund, House Republican Leadership proposes cutting back mail deliveries to American households. This idea is a jobs killer which does not even fund the Highway Trust Fund for a long enough period of time to provide the certainty that states, cities, and businesses need. This plan is a classic example of House Republicans not planning for a shortfall we have known about for years. It is ‘the dog ate my homework excuse.’ It is unworkable, makes no sense, and ignores the huge infrastructure needs we face, as so many bridges and roads are in grave disrepair. If the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee can do its job and pass a bill unanimously, then surely the House can begin to do the work needed to solve this problem — and not kick the can down the road with a totally unrelated and unworkable idea.”

via U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works :: Majority Page

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