In Switch, Dot Backs Trust-fund Rescue

摘要

With the Highway Trust Fund's fiscal health swiftly nearing a crisis point, pressure is build- ing to get Congress" to approve an $8-billion injection to stabilize the fund's highway ac- count, a critical source of construction aid. The rescue plan's fate rests in the Senate, where proponents at press time were trying to overcome objections from two Republican lawmakers. The problems have been growing for months as highway travel has slowed, affecting the flow of fuel-tax dollars into the trust fund. But bleak new estimates prompted Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters on Sept. 5 to direct the Federal Highway Administration for the first time to restrict road-aid reimbursements to state departments of transportation. In a sharp turnabout, Peters also urged Congress to quickly bolster the trust fund by approving an $8-billion shift from the general fund.