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Breaking News:
Amendment 2371 was defeated in the Senate by a vote of 39 for to 59 against and Amendment 2370 was withdrawn.
Breakdown of vote was largely along party lines, with some exceptions. See below, courtesy of the Alliance for Biking and Walking:
Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs ---39
Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Bayh (D-IN) Bennett (R-UT) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Feingold (D-WI) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kyl (R-AZ) LeMieux (R-FL) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lugar (R-IN) McCain (R-AZ) McCaskill (D-MO) McConnell (R-KY) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Webb (D-VA) Wicker (R-MS)
NAYs ---59
Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Begich (D-AK) Bennet (D-CO) Bingaman (D-NM) Bond (R-MO) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Burris (D-IL) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Dodd (D-CT) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feinstein (D-CA) Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Hagan (D-NC) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Johnson (D-SD) Kaufman (D-DE) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lincoln (D-AR) Menendez (D-NJ) Merkley (D-OR) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Shaheen (D-NH) Shelby (R-AL) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (D-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-CO) Udall (D-NM) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)
Not Voting - 1
Byrd (D-WV)
Dated: 15 September 2009
This has just been received from our friends at the League of American Bicyclists - our help is needed urgently to prevent appropriations for Transportation Enhancements (which include bicycle-related projects) from being cut once again.
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We need your help TODAY.
Senator Coburn (R-OK) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) are offering two amendments to the FY10 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill that will strike funding for transportation enhancements. The two amendments are S. Amendment 2370 and S. Amendment 2371.
The Transportation Enhancement program has provided between one half and three-quarters of all Federal funding invested in bicycling and walking improvements in the last 20 years. More than $250 million is at stake in fiscal year 2010 - if Coburn's amendment is successful it will affect hundreds of trail projects, sidewalks, bicyclist education programs, bike rack on bus programs, and roadway improvements for bicyclists.
S. Amendment 2370 prohibits funding for transportation enhancements if the Highway Trust Fund does not contain amounts sufficient to cover unfunded highway authorizations.
S. Amendment 2371 allows states to opt out of the 10% set aside rule that require states to spend at least 10% of their surface transportation funding on transportation enhancements.
We expect the amendments to be offered and voted on during Senate floor debate tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16.
Please call your Senator immediately and urge them to vote NO on S. Amendment 2370 and S. Amendment 2371 to the FY10 transportation appropriations bill.
Thank You from the League of American Bicyclists.
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Please act quickly! Call both of our Senators, U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), (202) 224-3224, webform located here
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), (202) 224-4744, webform located here
Suggested talking points for your calls and/or emails:
1) Dear Senator, I am calling you today to urge you to vote NO on two amendments to the FY10 transportation appropriations act.
2) Transportation Enhancements are the major funding source for all bicycle and pedestrian programs, and infrastructure projects.
3) Bicycling and Walking are clean and efficient modes of transportation: Currently, bicycling and walking account for 10% of the national mode share and yet receive less than 2% of the surface transportation funding.
4) Each year bicycling and walking saves 1.4 billion gallons and 12 million tons of carbon dioxide emission. At a time when we are looking to address climate change and reduce Green House Gas Emission’s (GHG) we should not be cutting funding for biking and walking.
5) Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure saves lives. Nationally, 13% of all roadway fatalities involve bicyclists or pedestrians. Cutting transportation enhancement funding for bicycle and pedestrian facilities will increase the rate of fatalities for these groups.
6) Building Bicycling and Pedestrian facilities are good for the economy. Building biking and walking infrastructure creates jobs – bike infrastructure is more labor intensive and less material intensive than building roads. Sidewalks and bike lanes make streets and downtowns into destinations for shopping and entertainment. Investing in walking and biking facilities helps local business and is an investment in the local economy.
7) Additionally, a recent survey conducted by AARP, shows that 47% of the nation’s elderly currently do not feel safe crossing the streets in their neighborhoods.
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