Record Road Spending in Budget Plan
The Clinton administration proposes to spend a record $29.3 billion on roads and bridges in fiscal 2001, but the federal-aid program still faces diversions of tax revenue, and that drew some complaints.
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) said the president wants to redirect $1.3 billion of the excess fuel tax revenue to non-highway projects, and vowed to “vigorously oppose” the plan on Capitol Hill. About half — $700 million — would go to railroad and other programs.
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he 6% increase — up from the current $27.5 billion — would be funded by $3 billion in additional revenue flowing into the Highway Trust Fund from taxes on higher-than-anticipated fuel consumption and $1.4 billion in new user fees ("Highway Trust Fund May Be Blessed With $3 Billion Fuel Tax Windfall," 2-7, p. 4).
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Highway User Federation President Bill Fay called the funding diversion “a travesty” and asked the White House to earmark all the money for highway purposes.
