Please Call Senator Charles Grassley TODAY!

Posted Feb 10, 2009
3,358

Your Help is needed TODAY! Please take ten minutes today to call Senator Grassley who is one of the ten members making the final decisions in the Conference Committee.

It's expected that there will be a final Economic Recovery bill completed on Wednesday, February 11. Iowa bicyclists, pedestrians, and Safe Routes to School supporters - we need your help right now to ensure that there will be funding for bicycling in the bill. Please take ten minutes today to call Senator Grassley who is one of the ten members making the final decisions in the Conference Committee. Contact Information (call both the DC and District offices, starting with DC): Sen. Grassley in DC 202-224-3744 Des Moines: 515-288-1145 Davenport: 563-322-4331 Cedar Rapids: 319-363-6832 Souix City: 712-233-1860 Council Bluffs: 712-322-7103 Waterloo: 319-232-6657 ____________________________________ The Message: When you make the calls (a total of two calls), tell the person who answers the phone the following message: * My name is ______ , I live in Iowa, and I have a message for Senator Grassley about the economic recovery bill. * Please ask the Senator to support explicit funding for the Transportation Enhancements program in the final economic recovery bill, as provided for in the House bill. ____________________________________ Additional Information: The person answering the phone may ask for your contact information. It is unlikely he or she will ask you any questions, but if so, please use the following talking points: * The Transportation Enhancements program will allow bicycle and pedestrian projects to be funded as part of the economic recovery - which will create construction jobs, use construction materials, get local businesses working, and help Main Street economies. * Bicycle and pedestrian improvements give families healthy and affordable transportation options to access their workplaces, schools, and public transit. * Better biking and walking options also help ensure greater energy independence, less pollution, and a healthier country Background: Both the House and Senate have adopted their own versions of the Economic Recovery bill. Thanks to the calls of bike and pedestrian advocates, Senator DeMint's amendment to prohibit any funding in the bill for bike/ped projects was not offered, and thus is not included; however, without an explicit inclusion of Transportation Enhancements, school modernization grants, and Healthy Communities in the bill, it's unlikely that many bike/ped/Safe Routes to School projects will be funded. The House and Senate are now in conference committee where the ten conference members are discussing differences between the two bills and negotiating a final bill that will be voted on by the House and the Senate, and then presented to President Obama for his signature. Congress is seeking to have the bill finalized this week, but there is talk that they may try to wrap up the bill late tonight. It's important that you make your calls today. Transportation Enhancements Both the House and Senate bills include billions for transportation infrastructure, but only the House bill explicitly includes funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects through the Transportation Enhancements program. The House bill includes approximately $1.35 billion for Transportation Enhancements of which 50-60% is traditionally spent on bicycle and pedestrian projects. The Senate bill does not explicitly include Transportation Enhancements, so it is unclear whether this funding will be in the final bill. We want to ensure that Transportation Enhancements is explicitly included in the final bill to help stimulate the economy, create green jobs, and build sustainable transportation options for families. Please forward this alert: Please make these calls ASAP, forward this alert to your friends, and please get everyone you know to contact them, because as a constituent, you'll have more power. Thanks for your help! Mark Wyatt www.IowaBicycleCoalition.org