House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) has sent a letter to his counterpart in the Senate congratulating her on the introduction of a surface transportation bill but taking issue with her two-year approach.
In his letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) dated Monday, Mica thanked the Environment and Public Works Committee chairwoman for her “cooperation and leadership on this important legislation” but said her two-year bill would “bankrupt” the Highway Trust Fund.
Micas has said he wants a six-year reauthorization but he has not introduced a bill and leaders in either both chamber have yet to find the funding for two or six-year plans.
Mica told Boxer that he hoped they can work together to get a multi-year bill to President Obama before the latest extension of SAFETEA-LU, the current spending authorization law, expires March 31.
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