| NEWS RELEASE
|
||
| FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday March 15, 2002 |
CONTACT:
|
David
McCollum 713-844-3641 phone 713-410-2246 mobile Ira
D. Perry |
| I-69 HEADS TO DC Board Members Meet With Texas Congressional Delegation HOUSTON, Board members
of The Alliance for I-69 Texas met with members of the state’s congressional
delegation in Washington, D.C. March 6 – 7.
Federal highway funding was the main topic of these meetings. “We are concerned
about the proposed reduction in federal funding for transportation, “ said
Helen Walker, Victoria County Judge and chairman of The Alliance for I-69
Texas Board of Directors. “The
president’s Fiscal Year 2003 budget proposal would reduce federal highway
spending by $8.6 billion, 27 percent less than that authorized in Fiscal Year
2002. However, the Highway
Funding Restoration Act, currently before Congress, would increase federal
highway spending $4.4 billion over the president’s proposal, an increase of
nearly $300 million to Texas.” “Restoring federal
highway funding and reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century (TEA-21) is imperative to the advancement of I-69,”
said Bill Summers, president of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and
vice-chair of The Alliance. “Establishing
a funding mechanism to direct resources to the development of truly
international trade corridors is essential to the development of I-69. This funding is vital, for without it, the country’s
infrastructure will not be able to support our growing trade with Mexico and
Canada.” Reaction from the
congressional delegation was positive.
“All of the congressional delegation members that we met with
expressed concern over the possible loss of funding,” said Walker.
“They indicated that they would work to restore funding to those
levels required by TEA-21. Additionally, while we were in Washington, Senator Kay Bailey
Hutchison announced her support of the Highway Funding Restoration Act.” ### |
||