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March 1, 2010

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NEWS HEADLINES

Senate Committee Examines DOT FY 2011 Budget

On Feb. 24, the Senate Budget Committee, chaired by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), held a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2011 budget request for DOT.

In his testimony, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood pointed to the various projects around the nation that have been made possible through investment from the department. “That money has been well spent, and a lot of people have gone to good-paying jobs around the country,” he said.

He noted that DOT is compiling a list of projects from the states that will be considered in the forthcoming authorization bill.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) praised the inclusion of high-speed rail in the budget request. “Beyond the thousands of jobs that should be created, there should be numerous additional benefits,” he said, ranging from reduced congestion to improved livability. When Feingold asked the secretary how DOT will ensure that local small businesses can compete for contracts, LaHood responded that DOT will ensure the role of small businesses in this process when the department undertakes negotiations with states regarding grant agreements.

Streetcars were cited as a popular investment in many states. “Streetcars are taking off all over America,” LaHood said. “A lot of communities around America are getting into the streetcar business, and many of them are going to be built in your home states.”

He added, however, that between $80 billion and $100 billion of federal investment will be required to address the backlog of infrastructure projects, because infrastructure has been “ignored” for a decade.

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