obama

Last week, President Obama announced that the administration will begin to work on new fuel-economy standards for heavy- and – medium-duty trucks starting in 2019.

            “The fuel standards we set over the past few years mean that, by the middle of the next decade, the cars and trucks we buy will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. And in the coming months, we’ll partner with truck makers to do it again for the next generation of vehicles,” Obama said.

            The standards on fuel consumption and emissions, issued in 2011, call for reducing the maximum levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in trucks and engines manufactured in 2014 and 2017.

            The goal for the new round of fuel-economy standards is to improve fuel economy, while reducing carbon emissions, and without sacrificing vehicle performance. The new standards may include rules for trailers, and will likely cover Classes 2-8 trucks.

On April 10, Obama released a transportation budget proposal for 2014. “The budget provides a total of $76.6 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding for the Department of Transportation, plus an additional $50 billion to jumpstart economic growth and job creation through immediate infrastructure investment.”
Obama hopes that the new budget will serve as a jumpstart to economic growth and the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs.
The proposal calls for a $27 billion one-time increase to go towards “critical highway infrastructure” and cross- border roads in addition to the $41 billion Congress has already authorized for highways next year. The $27 billion is part of a larger $50 billion transportation infrastructure investment plan intended to go towards roads, transits, railroads, and airports. By 2015, Obama wants Congress to increase the nation’s annual spending commitment to highways and public transportation by 25%.
Obama says that the new budget will be paid for by winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Because rebuilding our transportation infrastructure is an urgent need, the Budget uses savings from ramping down overseas military operations to fully offset baseline Highway Trust Fund solvency needs, the out-year surface transportation reauthorization allowance, and the rail reauthorization proposal.”
The new proposal leaves many skeptical. Among the skeptics, is the American Trucking Association. In a written release the Association voiced concern that “the budget fails to provide adequate detail and direction. For five years, we’ve waited for President Obama to clearly state how we should pay for these critical needs, and I’m sad to say, we continue to get lip service about the importance of roads and bridges with no real roadmap to real funding solutions. It’s time to show us the money and where you intend to get it from”, said Bill Graves, CEO of ATA.
Rep. Tom Petri, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, says “the president indicates he wants to use savings from reduced overseas military operations to pay for infrastructure improvements, but this is not a long-term solution and only further emphasizes that we’re spending more than we’re taking in.”

For more information on the 2014 Transportation Budget, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2014/assets/transportation.pdf