Transportation Committee Head Says Infrastructure Spending Equals Jobs
Christopher Weber
Correspondent
Posted:
12/2/09
The head of the House Transportation Committee is calling for $69 billion in federal funds for highway and transit projects to help create jobs and boost the economy.
Speaking on Capitol Hill a day before President Obama's "jobs summit," Rep. James Oberstar said transportation funding should be part of any future stimulus programs considered by Congress, Reuters reported. Upgrading the nation's transportation infrastructure, Oberstar said, would fulfill a national need while creating jobs for hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Oberstar, a Democrat from Minnesota, sent a letter to President Obama outlining his plan and said he hopes the issue will be addressed during the jobs forum set to begin Thursday.
The $787 billion stimulus bill passed in February included $34 billion for transportation projects that have created 340,000 jobs in construction and related industries, according to Oberstar. But, he said, most of those jobs will end by late spring.
Speaking on Capitol Hill a day before President Obama's "jobs summit," Rep. James Oberstar said transportation funding should be part of any future stimulus programs considered by Congress, Reuters reported. Upgrading the nation's transportation infrastructure, Oberstar said, would fulfill a national need while creating jobs for hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Oberstar, a Democrat from Minnesota, sent a letter to President Obama outlining his plan and said he hopes the issue will be addressed during the jobs forum set to begin Thursday.
The $787 billion stimulus bill passed in February included $34 billion for transportation projects that have created 340,000 jobs in construction and related industries, according to Oberstar. But, he said, most of those jobs will end by late spring.