A Leahy-Welch one-two punch is on the cusp of succeeding in delivering more transportation aid to Vermont in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene by removing the $100 million cap on federal emergency highway assistance, as well as allowing the state to be fully reimbursed for emergency repairs extending beyond the 180 day limit.

Sen. Leahy got the waivers, along with a $1.662 billion replenishment to the Federal Highway Administration emergency fund, included in the Transportation Appropriations Bill.

The original House bill did not include the provisions, but Rep. Welch successfully pushed to have the additions included in the conference committee report, which was just voted out of the full House on a vote of 298-121.

The Senate is expected to send the final bill to the President’s desk this evening. No doubt Governor Shumlin and the state Legislature are breathing a sigh of relief.

Rep. Welch: “This time, Vermonters are in need. Across the state, we are working together to help ourselves, but we can’t do it alone. Today’s news means Vermont will get a much-needed helping hand from the rest of the country.”

Sen. Leahy: “We want to get Irene way, way behind us, and this bill will bring that day to us sooner.  Repairing our transportation network is the key to restoring Vermont.”

Full press release from Leahy’s office after the flip.

Congress Thursday Evening Takes Final Steps

To Approve Crucial Post-Irene Emergency Transportation Aid Needed By Vermont

. . . Leahy Provisions Will Mean Tens Of Millions Of Dollars To Vermont In Road And Bridge Aid

(THURSDAY, NOV. 17) — In a vote of 298 to 121, the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday afternoon passed the final agreement on the annual Transportation Appropriations Bill, which includes provisions added by Senator Patrick Leahy to replenish the federal government’s depleted transportation emergency fund, along with the cost waivers he authored that will mean tens of millions of additional dollars for road and bridge repair aid in Vermont.  The Senate is expected to promptly take its final vote on the compromise bill to send it tonight to the President’s desk for signing.  The Senate vote is likely this evening, over the next two-to-three hours.

Leahy said, “We want to get Irene way, way behind us, and this bill will bring that day to us sooner.  Repairing our transportation network is the key to restoring Vermont.  We need these emergency funds and these cost waivers because our small state would be stretched too thin to do this alone.”

Facing stiff odds, Leahy added key transportation emergency funding waivers for Vermont in September to the bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee and then worked to secure Senate passage.  The counterpart House bill did not include the Leahy waivers, so Congressman Welch pressed House leaders to accept the Senate-passed provisions, and Leahy similarly worked with Senate conferees.  Senator Sanders also supports the Leahy waivers, and Governor Shumlin has said they are indispensable to Vermont’s recovery.  Leahy is number two on the Senate Appropriations Committee and also a senior member of its transportation subcommittee.

Here is a summary of the Leahy provisions in the final bill –

   Leahy worked to add $1.662 billion to the depleted Federal Highway Administration emergency fund, upon which Vermont will depend for help in repairing and rebuilding roads washed away or damaged by Irene-related flooding.  The emergency highway account today is almost empty.  Also vital to Vermont are several cost-waiver provisions Leahy added to the bill, which would save Vermont millions of state tax dollars by allowing Vermont to:

o    Be reimbursed for more than the current $100 million per-state limit on federal emergency highway repair funds, which is especially critical as Vermont’s repair costs are expected to exceed the current cap;

o    Be reimbursed 100 percent for emergency repairs beyond the current limit of 180 days.

   The bill also includes another high priority for Vermont: Leahy’s legislation to move heavy trucks off state secondary roads and onto the state’s Interstate highways for the next 20 years.  This will help Vermont businesses and communities struggling due to the large number of state and local roads heavily damaged during the flooding disaster.  Leahy’s Vermont provision is paired with a similar change for Maine, authored by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine).