MICA wants $1.5 trillion for transportation bill

NITL (The National Industrial Transportation League) -- Logistics Management, 5/14/2008 7:42:00 AM

Congressman John Mica (R-FL), the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said that he would like to see approximately $1.5 trillion spent on the next five-year reauthorization transportation bill.

On Tuesday, Mica told reporters, “I’m going to shoot for a total value of $1.5 trillion.” When told that getting a bill past executive opposition due to the high number Mica stated, “I don’t care who’s president, I think we can do it, and I think Mr. Oberstar and I can do it…”

The 2005 highway reauthorization bill is scheduled to expire in September, 2009 and Mica sees that as a huge priority for Congress over the next year. Mica said that he and Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) are in agreement that they can achieve about $500 million of that goal simply from increasing federal spending in the next highway bill – up from $286 million allocated in 2005. That would make up 1/3 of the total. The next 1/3 of the $1.5 trillion goal of Mica’s would come from “creative financing” according to the Congressman. Lastly, the final 1/3 would come from investment in public-private partnerships. He stated, “If we can define what the federal role is, who can participate and on what terms, I think you can unleash the equivalent of a half a trillion dollars.”

In addition to the funding issues, Mica argued that Congress should adopt a national strategic infrastructure and transportation plan. This plan would include issues such as freight movement on a national scale and improving the way projects are approved and executed. Both of these ideas were suggested in the recent transportation policy commission report.