Senate OKs $1 billion to repair bridges [View All]

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON - The Senate approved $1 billion on Monday to speed repair and replacement of America's crumbling network of bridges, six weeks after the Interstate 35W span collapsed in Minneapolis.

(snip)

"Our bridges are deteriorating far faster than we can finance their replacement," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., lead sponsor of the bridge-repair funds. "More than one in every four bridges on U.S. highways is rated as deficient."

If approved, the Democratic plan would boost federal funding next year for bridge repair and replacement by 20 percent, but would barely make a dent in the $65 billion nationwide backlog of bridge repairs identified by the Department of Transportation.





Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20719867/

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Ummm... BFD?

Why am I not surprised by the following:

Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., countered that lawmakers "should not overreact to the Minnesota bridge collapse by spending more money ... than is available."

White House budget office spokesman Sean Kevelighan said the Bush administration opposes the idea since it would speed up the depletion of the highway trust fund.