The Hill News

The House of Representatives did not win over many hearts this Valentine’s Day with its proposed transportation bill, the misnamed American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7). City dwellers of all political stripes oppose the way it strips public transit of a steady funding stream. Architects, planners and commuters decry its emphasis on easily-congested highways to the detriment of smart growth strategies. Environmentalists and the Episcopal Church oppose back-door efforts to open huge swaths of our country to drilling, including offshore areas and the fragile Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.  We should add to this list of opponents anyone who wants to see the United States continue on its fragile path to economic recovery. This billâ€"along with several of the amendments that have been submitted for attachment to itâ€"seems designed to stop job creation in its tracks and turn many of the good transportation jobs we already have into low-quality one! s.

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