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1"ACo: L gislative Affairs - Fact Sheets - ISTEA http!/www.naco.org/policy/fwts/isteafs.htn by supporters of campaign reform legislation who were successful in blocking consideration of S. 1173 until the Senate leadership agreed to a vote on campaign reform. While the agreement on campaign reform was finally reached, it was too late in the session for the Senate to debate and come to a vote on ISTEA. With the inability of the House and Senate to act on a multi-year ISTEA bill, Congress approved a six-month extension of the highway and transit programs. After little visible action on ISTEA during the first several months of this session of Congress, the legislation finally got moving recently in the Senate and a bill was passed on March 12 by a vote of 964. A great deal of pressure had been exerted to increase funding and once an agreement was worked out between the Senate leadership, the Budget Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, action on the bill occurred quite quickly. The Senate provided an additional $26 billion for highways, increasing funding from $145 billion to $171 billion over six years. In order to retain parity, transit was increased by $45 billion, from $36.3 billion to $41.3 billion. The agreement on a Senate bill triggered movement in the House. The House leadership, the Budget Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee were able to agree on a $218 billion highway and transit bill. This includes taking the Highway Trust Fund off-budget, a move that will maximize the likelihood that funds authorized will be spent The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to consider the H.R. 2400 on March 24, with consideration by the full House to follow shortly thereafter. A Conference Committee between the House and Senate could begin meeting in April and will have to deal with a number of contentious issues, among which will be whether or not the Highway Trust Fund will ultimately be taken off-budget. NACo policy: NACo supports the following key points regarding the reauthorization of ISTEA: . Increased funding for highways, bridges, and mass transit. . Retention of the existing ISTEA program structure, specifically those programs which provide funds to county governments-the surface transportation program, the bridge program, and the transit program. . Strengthened role for both urban and rural counties in the planning and project selection process. . Removal of the highway and transit trust fund from the unified budget or similar proposals to spend more of the gas tax revenues collected in the trust fund. Action needed: County officials should communicate with Senate and House members concerning their support of the reauthorization of ISTEA in its current form, along with a stronger role for county officials in the project selection process, and their opposition to any major program restructuring to give the states further authority over how highway and transit funds are spent. NACo members also need to emphasize with administration and Congressional leaders their support for a provision taking the Highway Trust Fund off-budget, or a similar mechanism which ensures the spending of all the funds authorized for the highway and transit programs in the ISTEA reauthorization legislation. Contact: Bob Fogel 202-942-4217 e-mail: Bob Foee! March 1998 About NACo I About Counties I Membership Benefits) Leeislative Issues Affiliates I Conferences I Services for Counties I Publications 2 of 3 05/01/98 15:173: