Jim Riley, Director, Government Affairs
John Boling, Director, Government Affairs
Joe Colaneri, Director, Government Affairs
Patricia Maeder, Division Coordinator
www.nssga.org
Action Center
e-Digest
SENATE PASSES HIGHWAY BILL; CONFERENCE COMMITTEE NEXT STOP
On May 17, the Senate passed its $295 billion substitute version of H.R. 3, the transportation reauthorization bill, by a veto-proof margin of 89 to 11. President Bush and administration officials have already announced that the president will veto any highway bill with a funding level higher than $284 billion. White House press secretary Scott McClellan repeated the veto threat following the Senate vote.NSSGA appreciates the hard work of our grassroots in helping to move reauthorization this far. We ask that you take a moment now to thank your U.S. Senators and Representative for their past support of reauthorization efforts and urge them now to move the bill quickly to conference and maintain the Senate's funding level.
Below is the list of senators who voted against final passage of the $295 billion Senate highway bill. Please continue to press them on the importance of getting the bill done. Senators voting against final passage were:
Brownback (R-KS); Coburn (R-OK); Cornyn (R-TX); DeMint (R-SC); Feingold (D-WI); Graham (R-SC); Gregg (R-NH); Hutchison (R-TX); Kohl (D-WI); McCain (R-AZ) and Sununu (R-NH).
Senators voting for the Sessions amendment to reduce the $295 billion bill by up to $10.7 billion were:
Brownback (R-KS); Burr (R-NC); Coburn (R-OK); Cornyn (R-TX); DeMint (R-SC); Enzi (R-WY); Frist (R-TN); Graham (R-SC); Gregg (R-NH); Hagel (R-NE); Hutchison (R-TX); Kyl (R-AZ); McCain (R-AZ); Sessions (R-AL); Sununu (R-NH) and Thomas (R-WY)
NSSGA's toll-free Washington Action Hotline, (800) 450-8293, or the Legislative Action Center are available to connect you with your Senators and Representative so that your voice may be heard on this priority issue for our industry.