Bishop Introduces Senate Transportation Bill in House, Urges Immediate Consideration

Press Release

Led by Congressman Tim Bishop, senior Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today joined with more than 80 Members of the House of Representatives to introduce the bipartisan job-creating transportation bill that passed the Senate last week by a vote of 74 to 22 and called on House Republicans to abandon their partisan transportation bill and bring the Senate bill up for immediate consideration.

"A robust transportation authorization is the best way for Congress to take significant action on jobs this year, and there is a bipartisan approach to this top national priority ready to hit the road," said Congressman Tim Bishop, who is the lead sponsor of the legislation. "MAP-21 received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate due to its huge potential for job creation. I have introduced the bill in the House to allow a bipartisan majority in this chamber to pass it as well and move our nation forward. So far, the House GOP has shown no interest in creating American jobs."

The bipartisan "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21)" (H.R 14) plan was introduced by Bishop and his colleagues to move our Nation forward and create desperately needed jobs. The surface transportation authorization bill is by far the most important jobs legislation Congress will consider this year. If House Republican leaders prevent the Senate bill from reaching the President before the March 31st expiration of highway program funding, Republicans will be responsible for devastating job losses across the nation.

Unlike the bill proposed by House Republicans (H.R. 7), which slashes funding for transportation in New York by $1 billion, MAP-21 would create or sustain 113,300 construction jobs in New York alone: 61,100 in highway construction and 52,200 in mass transit construction, according to the US Department of Transportation.

"Once again, the partisan agenda of the GOP leadership has brought the nation to the brink, this time regarding necessary investments in upgrading America's infrastructure for the 21st century," said Bishop. "MAP-21 is not perfect, but is a vast improvement over the GOP alternative of more delay. This is the latest example--and most literal--of the House GOP leadership's counterproductive 'my-way-or-the highway' approach to governing. America's top priority - job creation - deserves action now, and I urge my colleagues to adopt the bipartisan MAP-21 plan I introduced today."

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