WASHINGTON, D.C., September 8, 2011

AAA Encouraged by Boxer/Inhofe Transportation Bill

“AAA commends U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ranking Member James Inhofe (R-OK) for their bipartisan action to extend the surface transportation program. Congress must not fail in swiftly delivering this measure to the President before the program expires on September 30, 2011. Failure by Congress to act would ultimately impact transportation safety, mobility, and emergency response operations, would threaten our national economic competitiveness, as well as jeopardize thousands of jobs across the country. Beyond the short-term extension, both parties must also continue to work towards a long overdue multi-year highway and transit bill in the same spirit of cooperation. We expect the President to encourage this important next step in his address to Congress tonight.

The President is correct when he says our nation’s aging roads, bridges and transit systems are in a dire need of an upgrade. For the past several years, AAA has called on lawmakers to institute reforms that would create a more accountable and results-driven program. Such actions are critical to restoring the public’s trust in the ability of government to spend transportation user fees wisely. The time is now for Congress and the White House to take bipartisan action and deliver on a transportation bill that makes America stronger and keeps the economy, and the American people, moving into the future.”