Effort to eliminate Transportation Enhancements defeated in U.S. Senate, 60-38

An effort in the U.S. Senate to eliminate Transportation Enhancements funding was defeated today by a vote of 60-38 in a bipartisan vote of support for bicycle and pedestrian funding.

Transportation Enhancements, the number one source of funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in the United States, was the target of an attack by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.  

Issues and examples attempting to portray the projects as a poor use of federal funding used by Paul and opponents of Transportation Enhancements had been thoroughly debunked by the media and bicycle and pedestrian groups.  The AP even went so far as to say the Senator Paul "continued the misrepresentation" when he spoke on the Senator floor today.

MoBikeFed has described the bicycle and pedestrian projects as "important, popular, and much needed"--and it is gratifying that a majority of the U.S. Senate agrees with our view.

Who supported bike/ped funding - and who did not

As is usual in the current session of Congress, the vote was very much along party lines. All Senate Democrats voted for the bill, along with seven Republicans and an Independent. Thirty-eight Republicans voted against the bill.

The good news: In todays' atmosphere in Washington, DC, the fact that seven Republicans voted alongside Democrats on this issue is actually very significant bi-partisan support--particularly when Senators from states like Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Illinois join Democrats.

Republicans voting in support of Transportation Enhancements included three from states neighboring Missouri--Alexander (R-TN), Inhofe (R-OK), and Kirk (R-IL)--as well as  Brown (R-MA), Cochran (R-MS), Collins (R-ME), and Snowe (R-ME).

Missouri Senator McCaskill surprises; Senator Blunt disappoints

In Missouri, Senator Claire McCaskill (D) voted in support of Transportation Enhancements while Senator Roy Blunt (R) voted to eliminate the program.

This is very encouraging for Senator McCaskill, who has previously voted against Transportation Enhancements.

But it is very disappointing for Senator Blunt, who has voiced strong support for bicycle and pedestrian funding in letters to constitutents who have contacted him about this issue.

It would be very helpful to follow up by writing to Senator McCaskill and thank her for her support, while contacting Senator Blunt to (politely and persuasively) let him know how disappointed you are in his vote:

• Contact Senator McCaskill
• Contact Senator Blunt

Nationwide citizens' campaign was successful--thank you!

National bicycle, pedestrian, and transportation groups organized a grass roots effort across the country to have citizens contact their senators in support of Transportation Enhancements.  Local and state groups like the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation have been working hard to support the national campaign.

The results were very positive.  

Many thanks to all of you who contacted your Senators--it paid off this time!

Further information

Full text of the amendment as offered:

 SA 821. Mr. PAUL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 738 proposed by Mr.Inouye to the bill H.R. 2112, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

Transportation Enhancements project

On page 213, line 13, insert:

Provided further, That notwithstanding section 133(d)(2) of title 23, United States Code, none of the funds made available under this heading may be used to implement or execute transportation enhancement activities:

Provided further, That at least 10 percent of the funds made available under this heading shall be made available for the highway bridge program authorized under section 144 of title 23, United States Code'' before the period at the end.

Roll Call Vote

Note that the amendment is to eliminate Transportatin Enhancements funding.  Therefore a "Nay" vote is is support of Transportation Enhancements funding, while a "Yea" vote is to eliminate Enhancements funding.

 

   Alphabetical by Senator Name 

Akaka (D-HI), Nay  Alexander (R-TN), Nay  Ayotte (R-NH), Yea  Barrasso (R-WY), Yea  Baucus (D-MT), Nay  Begich (D-AK), Nay  Bennet (D-CO), Nay  Bingaman (D-NM), Nay  Blumenthal (D-CT), Nay  Blunt (R-MO), Yea  Boozman (R-AR), Yea  Boxer (D-CA), Nay  Brown (D-OH), Nay  Brown (R-MA), Nay  Burr (R-NC), Not Voting  Cantwell (D-WA), Nay  Cardin (D-MD), Nay  Carper (D-DE), Nay  Casey (D-PA), Nay  Chambliss (R-GA), Yea  Coats (R-IN), Yea  Coburn (R-OK), Yea  Cochran (R-MS), Nay  Collins (R-ME), Nay  Conrad (D-ND), Nay  Coons (D-DE), Nay  Corker (R-TN), Yea  Cornyn (R-TX), Yea  Crapo (R-ID), Yea  DeMint (R-SC), Yea  Durbin (D-IL), Nay  Enzi (R-WY), Yea  Feinstein (D-CA), Nay  Franken (D-MN), Nay

Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay  Graham (R-SC), Yea  Grassley (R-IA), Yea  Hagan (D-NC), Nay  Harkin (D-IA), Nay  Hatch (R-UT), Yea  Heller (R-NV), Yea  Hoeven (R-ND), Yea  Hutchison (R-TX), Yea  Inhofe (R-OK), Nay  Inouye (D-HI), Nay  Isakson (R-GA), Yea  Johanns (R-NE), Yea  Johnson (D-SD), Nay  Johnson (R-WI), Yea  Kerry (D-MA), Nay  Kirk (R-IL), Nay  Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay  Kohl (D-WI), Nay  Kyl (R-AZ), Yea  Landrieu (D-LA), Nay  Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay  Leahy (D-VT), Nay  Lee (R-UT), Yea  Levin (D-MI), Nay  Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay  Lugar (R-IN), Yea  Manchin (D-WV), Nay  McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting  McCaskill (D-MO), Nay  McConnell (R-KY), Yea  Menendez (D-NJ), Nay  Merkley (D-OR), Nay  Mikulski (D-MD), Nay

Moran (R-KS), Yea  Murkowski (R-AK), Yea  Murray (D-WA), Nay  Nelson (D-FL), Nay  Nelson (D-NE), Nay  Paul (R-KY), Yea  Portman (R-OH), Yea  Pryor (D-AR), Nay  Reed (D-RI), Nay  Reid (D-NV), Nay  Risch (R-ID), Yea  Roberts (R-KS), Yea  Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay  Rubio (R-FL), Yea  Sanders (I-VT), Nay  Schumer (D-NY), Nay  Sessions (R-AL), Yea  Shaheen (D-NH), Nay  Shelby (R-AL), Yea  Snowe (R-ME), Nay  Stabenow (D-MI), Nay  Tester (D-MT), Nay  Thune (R-SD), Yea  Toomey (R-PA), Yea  Udall (D-CO), Nay  Udall (D-NM), Nay  Vitter (R-LA), Yea  Warner (D-VA), Nay  Webb (D-VA), Nay  Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay  Wicker (R-MS), Yea  Wyden (D-OR), Nay

 

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---38
Ayotte (R-NH) Barrasso (R-WY) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Chambliss (R-GA) Coats (R-IN) Coburn (R-OK) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC)	Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Heller (R-NV) Hoeven (R-ND) Hutchison (R-TX) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Johnson (R-WI) Kyl (R-AZ) Lee (R-UT) Lugar (R-IN) McConnell (R-KY) Moran (R-KS)	Murkowski (R-AK) Paul (R-KY) Portman (R-OH) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rubio (R-FL) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Toomey (R-PA) Vitter (R-LA) Wicker (R-MS)

NAYs ---60
Akaka (D-HI) Alexander (R-TN) Baucus (D-MT) Begich (D-AK) Bennet (D-CO) Bingaman (D-NM) Blumenthal (D-CT) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Brown (R-MA) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Coons (D-DE) Durbin (D-IL) Feinstein (D-CA)	Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Hagan (D-NC) Harkin (D-IA) Inhofe (R-OK) Inouye (D-HI) Johnson (D-SD) Kerry (D-MA) Kirk (R-IL) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Manchin (D-WV) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Merkley (D-OR)	Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Shaheen (D-NH) Snowe (R-ME) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-CO) Udall (D-NM) Warner (D-VA) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 2
Burr (R-NC)	McCain (R-AZ)

 

Roll Call Vote Source