Murkowski: HIghway Bill Passes Senate Committee
MURKOWSKI: HIGHWAY BILL PASSES SENATE COMMITTEE
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she's pleased the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this morning moved forward on a bill to reauthorize the Federal Highway construction program for future years.
The bill, approved during today's committee mark-up session, is largely the same as the measure that passed the Senate last year. In that measure, Murkowski added a provision that creates a new $30 million annual program to connect remote Alaska communities and to improve roads within villages -- co-sponsored by Senator Stevens -- and pushed for a provision to expand funding for Alaska's ferry system.
The Senate bill contains Murkowski language allowing the Denali Commission to build roads connecting isolated rural communities that presently have no connection to other communities, and to make improvements in internal village roads.
The bill adopted today authorizes less spending than last year's highway bill -- $284 billion compared to the $318 billion bill that the Senate proposed in 2004. Murkowski, however, said there will be an effort made to increase the amount of total spending for roads when this year's bill reaches the Senate floor later this year.
"We all know that if our economy is our strength, transportation is our circulatory system. Without it, we cannot function. And make no mistake, we are not keeping up with the task," said Murkowski in a written statement. "Is this a perfect bill? No, indeed. I would like to see greater flexibility in a number of areas. I would also like to see greater recognition given to the fact that my State is far behind all the others in road miles, and that lack is holding back not only our economy but limiting our ability to contribute to the nation as a whole."
Alaska, with fewer residents and far fewer road miles than most states, receives approximately 1.17 percent of the federal spending that is currently apportioned among the states. That remains unchanged under the new bill.
Under Senate rules, no funds could be earmarked to specific highway projects. House budget rules have no such limitations, so modifications to reflect specific Alaska needs may still occur before final bill passage later this year.
http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=233729