House Dem to Obama: Focus on highways, not trade deals

A Democratic House lawmaker is urging President Obama to focus on convincing Congress to approve a new transportation funding bill instead of international trade deals like the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership that are unpopular with labor groups. 

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) is arguing that a long-term transportation funding bill is more important to the nation’s economy than an international trade pact. 

“Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), with leading Democratic House leaders, has called on President Obama to push Congress for multi-year surface transportation legislation before taking up controversial trade policy,” Ryan’s office said. “Around the country our mass transit, roads, bridges, railroads and sewer systems urgently need improvements and repairs to help America compete in the global economy.” 

{mosads}Ryan is scheduled to discuss his opposition to the TPP and other trade deals on Monday with Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen.

The duo’s comments come as lawmakers are struggling to come up with a way to pay for a transportation funding extension to approach a rapidly approaching May 31 deadline. 

The current transportation bill that was approved last July is scheduled to expire, and the Department of Transportation has said that its Highway Trust Fund will run out of money at that time without a congressional reprieve. 

Lawmakers in both parties have expressed a desire to approve a long-term transportation funding extension, but there has been little agreement on how the measure should be paid for. 

Transportation advocates have suggested raising the 18.4-cents-per-gallon federal gas tax to pay for the measure to boost infrastructure spending, but most lawmakers — especially Republicans — have been reluctant to ask drivers to pay more at the pump. 

The gas tax has been the main source of transportation funding since the 1930s, but it has not been increased since 1993 and has struggled recently to keep pace with construction costs as cars have become more fuel-efficient. 

An alternative proposal calls for using money from taxing overseas corporate profits to fund the transportation bill, but budget groups and transportation supporters have criticized the plan as a one-time “gimmick” that will not address the long-term infrastructure funding issues. 

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing about the upcoming expiration of the highway bill on Tuesday.