WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the following statement after joining the Senate in voting 79-18 to extend critical highway funding for construction on roads and bridges in New Mexico and across the country through Dec. 20, 2014.
"This is a bill that matters to every New Mexican - extending highway funding is critical to sustain hundreds of jobs in our state and to ensure that transportation improvement projects in New Mexico continue without interruption. I am pleased the Senate has passed this bill, and I call on the House to work with us on an agreement on this extension before funding begins to run out on Aug. 1. Without this extension, the U.S. Department of Transportation will have to start cutting funding for construction, putting up to 700,000 people out of work across the country.
"While this is a much-needed fix, it is will only last until the end of the year. I will work with members of both parties to do what's right for New Mexico and our nation and find a long-term solution to extend the life of the Highway Trust Fund. New Mexico cannot afford an interruption in federal transportation funding when our economy is still struggling, and I will keep making this case until our work is done."
