Ranking Members Ryan and Lewis Oppose Highway Trust Fund Bailout (HR 6327)

House Budget Committee Ranking Member Ryan and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Lewis will oppose H.R. 6327

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Budget Committee Ranking Republican Paul Ryan, and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Republican Jerry Lewis today joined together in opposition to the Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2008 (H.R. 6327).

The bill contains a three month, short term extension of the Aviation Trust Fund taxes and temporarily fixes the shortfalls in the Airport Improvement Program. However, tacked onto this FAA bill is an $8 billion appropriation to fund a temporary fix to the floundering Highway Trust Fund.

“This bill just exacerbates our transportation funding problem by using an $8 billion taxpayer-funded band-aid on the terminally ill Highway Trust Fund. We need real reform and practical solutions, not more buck passing,” Jerry Lewis said.

Added Paul Ryan: “Most American families are squeezing their budgets ever tighter to cover skyrocketing food and gas prices. They’re setting priorities, making trade-offs. Congress needs to fix the Highway Trust Fund by doing the same.”

The Highway Trust Fund, funded by the federal gas tax, is expected to run out of money and become insolvent in 2009, with a projected FY 2009 shortfall between $1.4 billion and $3.3 billion.  H.R. 6327 is temporary patch using deficit spending that would do nothing to solve the fundamental problems with the trust fund, leading the way for further massive spending down the road when the funding runs out again.

“Clearly, Congress must – and will – ensure our most critical transportation infrastructure needs are met. But we’ve got to find a responsible way to do it, both in the short and long term,” said Ryan.

“With $4 gas, people are filling up less and less, driving down the revenues in the trust fund. This is not a problem that Congress will solve with an $8 billion bailout. We need real trust fund reform, as well as some true solutions to fix our national oil crisis,” Lewis continued.