Speed of stimulus is a two-way street on Hill

WASHINGTON -- Less than one-half of 1% of the money set aside for highway repair and construction has been distributed since President Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus package in February, Transportation Department figures show.

The top Republican on the House Transportation Committee, John Mica of Florida, says stimulus funding is trickling to states too slowly because of excessive federal regulations. "It's not a pretty picture," he says. "There should be no reason why, with the economy in dire straits, that we can't get the money out there. It's tied up in red tape."

The committee's Democratic chairman, James Oberstar of Minnesota, says the Transportation Department is moving money quickly, noting that projects worth more than $4.4 billion are under construction. Oberstar says a better measure of progress is the amount of money promised for specific projects, since states get the federal money after construction has begun.

The clash between the competing views of the stimulus package is set to play out today at a committee hearing, where agency officials will report on progress in spending the package's $64.1 billion in transportation and infrastructure funding. Mica also says the package hasn't done much to slow rising unemployment.

States have received only about $132 million of the stimulus package's $27.5 billion in road construction funding, department figures show. As of May 31, the 13 states with double-digit unemployment rates received only about $22 million of that highway money, according to figures released by the committee in advance of the hearing.

Oberstar said by e-mail that it will take time for the money to achieve its expected benefits.

As of Wednesday, more than half of the highway stimulus funding — $15.7 billion — was ready to be spent, the Federal Highway Administration reported on its website. The administration said 4,929 projects had been approved, with 1,520 underway.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in an e-mail that highway stimulus money is getting to states almost twice as fast as regular federal highway spending. "We're proud of our accomplishments," he said.