WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Richard Hanna (R-Barneveld) and Louise Slaughter (D-Rochester) of New York led a national effort to restore support for vital transit programs threatened by severe budget cuts in the House Surface Transportation bill.

Reps. Hanna and Slaughter organized a bipartisan coalition of 60 Members of Congress to push back against proposed cuts to transit programs that could affect commuters across seven states. The bipartisan coalition wrote to members of the House-Senate Conference Committee who are tasked with negotiating a six-year highway bill between the two chambers, including the proposed cuts that could decrease service and increase the cost of maintenance and technology upgrades.

The coalition, led by Reps. Hanna and Slaughter, are asking that the Conference Committee reinstate funding for the 5340 High Density States program, which was eliminated in the House Surface Transportation bill by an amendment passed by a voice vote.