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Sen. Boxer: Jobs report underscores 'the necessity of passing a transportation bill'
The chairwoman of the committee of lawmakers that is conferencing on a new federal transportation bill said the employment numbers released Friday made the case for Congress to compromise on road and transit spending.
Statistics released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed national unemployment rate increased to 8.2 percent in May, with the U.S. economy adding only 69,000 jobs.
House leaders sent signals Friday that the transportation conference might miss its June 30 deadline for the expiration of the current highway spending bill, but Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Friday afternoon that the job numbers showed why the 47-member panel she is chair of should not let that happen.
"Today's unemployment numbers underscore the necessity of passing a transportation bill that does not cut transportation funding," Boxer said in a statement released by her office. "Clearly, the indecision in passing a transportation reauthorization bill is having a terrible impact on the construction industry -- 28,000 construction jobs lost last month."
"We're prepared to make sure that there is no stoppage of transportation programming and funding, all the while desiring a much longer-term solution to the problem," Cantor said.
The conference committee is attempting to build a bridge between a two-year, $109-billion transportation bill that was passed by the Senate with two temporary extensions of current funding that were approved by the House.
The House has passed an extension of current transportation funding beyond the scheduled June 30 deadline, which would carry highway spending through Sept. 30. But in order for that measure to become law, it would have to also be approved by the Senate.
In her statement on the jobs numbers Friday, Boxer blamed Republicans for the gridlock on the transportation bill the conference committee is experience after negotiating for the better part of a month.
"I hope today's numbers will lead House Republicans to work with the Senate on a bipartisan approach to fund the transportation bill at current levels, protecting 3 million jobs and thousands of businesses," she said.
But Cantor said in his remarks Friday that it was Democrats' desired transportation spending levels that was the problem.
"The problem remains … just not enough money to address all the things that the country is experiencing in terms of the needs for roads and infrastructure repair, as well as needed expansion," he said. "We all are mindful of the limited resources that are available to address these needs."
-- Pete Kasperowicz contributed to this report.
