Miller Statement on House Passage of Transportation Bill

Miller Statement on House Passage of Transportation Bill- April 2, 2004

NEWS
Congressman Gary G. Miller
42nd District, California

Miller Statement on House Passage of Transportation Bill

Congressman Gary Miller (R-Brea) made the following statement today on passage of HR 3550, The Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (TEA LU), in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill allocates $275 billion to fund highway and transit construction and maintenance over the next six years.

"HR 3550 will ensure that our transportation network continues to meet the demands of our nation's burgeoning economy and growing population. This bill will fund a variety of projects in California, including completing Alameda Corridor East, lowering railroad tracks in North Orange County and building a new transportation corridor between Orange and Riverside counties.

"Some reports have criticized the amount of funding California will receive in the bill. Most of these reports paint an incomplete picture by solely focusing on formula funding and not on specific project funding. Funding allocations for high profile projects, such as $1.2 billion for Alameda Corridor East project, $220 million for a North Orange County rail lowering project and $8 billion to build a bullet train from Orange County and the Inland Empire to Las Vegas, will be added to the bill as it continues to move through the legislative process. Once funding for these projects is allocated and added to the state's formula funding, California is actually one of the top benefactors of the bill.

"As the bill moves to conference, I will continue to work to ensure California receives its fair share of federal highway funds."