Tanya Snyder
Tanya became Streetsblog's Capitol Hill editor in September 2010 after covering Congress for Pacifica Radios Washington bureau and for public radio stations around the country. She lives car-free in a transit-oriented and bike-friendly neighborhood of Washington, DC.
Recent Posts
Obama: “I Will Veto Any Bill” Without Tax Increases on the Wealthy
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In a Rose Garden speech this morning, President Obama soundly rejected Republicans’ push to address the deficit exclusively through spending cuts with no tax increases. He was responding to House Speaker John Boehner, who said last week that tax increases were “off the table.” The outcome of the current deficit-cutting fight could have significant implications […]
Boxer Clarifies: Transportation Enhancements Will Remain in the Bill
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We reported this morning that there seemed to be some distance between how Sen. Barbara Boxer understands the deal with Sen. Tom Coburn and how Coburn understands it. To clarify, Boxer just issued this statement: There has been much discussion about plans for the Transportation Enhancements program in the upcoming surface transportation bill. The Transportation […]
Harry Reid Calls Bike Facilities “Absolutely Important”
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Seems like bicycling heroes are coming out of the woodwork these days. I’d missed this in all the coverage of the extension, but was gratified to see that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s opposition to Sen. Coburn’s machinations weren’t just in the interest of smooth procedure. The man actually cares about bike/ped issues. From The […]
The Stranger: If Safer Streets Mean War, We’re Ready for Combat
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Under the headline, “Okay, Fine, It’s War,” Seattle’s weekly newspaper, The Stranger, this week published a manifesto “of and by the nondrivers themselves.” They’re sick of being called “militants” for caring about pedestrian safety, and they’re tired of the specter of a “war on cars.” We heartily recommend that you read the whole thing, but […]
Last-Minute Deal Preserves Bike/Ped Funding. But For How Long?
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UPDATED with comments from Sen. Tom Coburn’s staff. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has relented on his push to strip Transportation Enhancement funding from the six-month surface transportation extension, clearing the way for Senate passage last night and a White House signature today. In exchange for releasing his stranglehold on the Senate (and the estimated 80,000 […]
Boehner: Let’s Build Highways to Transport Fossil Fuels
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House Speaker John Boehner just gave a talk to the elite Economic Club of Washington. Mixed in with other crazy-talk about taxes being off the table for the super committee (even though they were explicitly on the table when the super committee was formed as part of the debt ceiling agreement) and government regulation being […]
Sen. Boxer Spoiling For a “Fight” Over Transportation Enhancements
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Sen. Barbara Boxer, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and lead champion for the transportation bill, just spoke on the Senate floor. I didn’t catch all of it, but I tuned in when she was upbraiding her Republican colleagues (read: Sen. Tom Coburn) for holding up the transportation bill. “Where was your […]
Politico Reporter Tweets That Senate Will Take Up Infrastructure Bank Bill
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More information when we get it.
T4America to Sen. Coburn: Cutting Bike/Ped Won’t Fix Oklahoma’s Problems
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today that if Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn insists on holding up legislation to extend the surface transportation and aviation bills, “we will have about 80,000 people out of work by Saturday.” Although SAFETEA-LU doesn’t expire for another two weeks, the FAA reauthorization expires in two days, and Reid said that if […]
Yes, Amtrak Can Be Saved, As Long As Republican Proposals Fail
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“Last year we spent more than $40 billion on highways, and Lord knows we need that — but that’s more than we spent on Amtrak in its entire 40-year history,” New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg said this morning at the start of a hearing on the future of passenger rail. “And unfortunately, some say we […]
Coburn Blocks Quick Senate Vote on Transportation Extension
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Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has placed a “hold” on the transportation extension, along with a bill to continue sanctions against Burma and to provide disaster relief to areas affected by Hurricane Irene and other storms. When just one senator objects to a “unanimous consent” vote — the quickest way for the body to pass legislation […]
How Dangerous is Sen. Coburn’s Amendment to Kill Bike/Ped Funding?
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For the last few days, we’ve been talking a lot about Sen. Tom Coburn’s crusade to remove bike/ped funding from the transportation bill — even just from the six-month extension that just passed the House and is on its way to the Senate. He’s determined to insert an amendment to take out the funds. Ever […]