WASHINGTON, DC –– U.S. Senator Kit Bond voted against the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act Conference Report because it provided a short term extension of the highway authorization without including vital language to repeal the rescission which will lead to devastating losses to jobs and shovel-ready highway projects. 

 

            “Today’s inaction took the shovels out of the hands of American workers across the country,” said Bond.  “This rescission will translate into the loss of thousands of jobs and the canceling of transportation infrastructure projects throughout the country, which is equivalent to pouring salt into the wounds of those seeking employment during the economic downturn.”

 

Mandated in the last highway bill, today on September 30^th, an $8.7 rescission of contract authority will go into effect.  This rescission will apply to some of the funds allocated under the last highway bill – the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).  Earlier this year, Bond offered an amendment to the Highway Trust Fund Act that would eliminate this job-killing rescission, but the Senate defeated his effort to protect workers. 

 

Bond was assured that a fix would passed by the Senate before the September 30^th deadline, but today the Democrat majority in the Senate failed to include a fix in the last available legislative vehicle, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act Conference Report.

 

The Senator pointed out that this failure to act will cost Missouri $201 million in lost infrastructure projects and 5,500 jobs.  States across the country will suffer similar loss in shovel-ready projects and jobs. 

 

Bond also voiced his opposition to an irresponsible provision included in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act that was airdropped in conference by Congressional Democrats.  A $4 billion accounting gimmick was added through a parliamentary maneuver that will allow the U.S. Postal Service to delay payments to its health care fund for its retirees.  The Senator stressed that this gimmick will bail out the Postal Service without forcing them to make much-needed fundamental reforms to ensure its long-term viability.

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