As the Senate and House conferees try to finish up the surface transportation bill before the current extension expires on June 30, NACo continues to have concerns about keeping the off-system bridge program language that is in the Senate bill. The language in the Senate bill maintains the off-system bridge program in its current form. Efforts to retain the program received a boost last week when 42 House members sent a letter to all the conferees urging the Senate language be retained. Additionally, several members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors personally delivered a letter to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who chairs the Senate-House Conference Committee, expressing support for the off-system bridge program. NACo requests that any county official who has a Senator or House member on the conference committee directly communicate with that member’s office asking that the Senate provision on the off-system bridge program be kept in the final bill. The best way to communicate your views is to call the Washington office of your Senator or House member and ask to directly speak with the staff member working on transportation issues. Letters and e-mails are less effective and may not get to the right person.

Senate conferees: 8 Democrats: Boxer (D-CA), Baucus (D-MT), Rockefeller (D-WVA), Durbin (D-IL), Johnson (D-SD), Schumer (D-NY), Nelson (D-FL), Menendez (D-NJ)- and 6 Republicans: Inhofe (R-OK), Vitter (R-LA), Hatch (R-UT), Shelby (R-AL), Hutchison (R-TX), Hoeven (R-ND).

House conferees: 12 Republicans: Mica (R-FL), Young (R-AK), Duncan (R-TN), Shuster (R-PA), Capito (R-WVA), Crawford (R-AR), Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Bucshon (R-IN), Hanna (R-NY), Southerland (R-FL), Lankford (R-OK), Ribble (R-WI)- and 9 Democrats: Rahall (D-WVA), DeFazio (D-OR), Costello(D-IL), Norton (D-DC), Nadler (D-NY), Brown (D-FL), Cummings (D-MD), Boswell (D-IA), Bishop (D-NY).

NACo Contact: Bob Fogel 202.942.4217