WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.

.), Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced full committee passage of the fiscal year 2014 THUD Appropriations bill which supports thousands of Maryland jobs. I support this bill because its a jobs bill, said Senator Mikulski. Infrastructure and housing investments are vital to sustain economic growth and create jobs. These federal dollars will provide funding for our highways, byways and subways. It will help protect American lives, and support thousands of Maryland jobs. Senator Mikulski fought for provisions to: Hire construction workers and engineers across the nation for highway, bridge, rail transit and port projects through $550 million in competitive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants; Provide $186 million for the Maritime Security Program which maintains 60 U.S. flagships, crewed by American citizens, to serve both commercial and national security needs of the U.S.; Fund Metro in our Nations capital, including $150 million for safety improvements, maintenance and upgrades to rail cars and to improve track signaling; and transit; and Provide $3.35 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides both formula and discretionary funding to airports for exterior capital improvements and repairs like new runways aprons, lighting, planning and land purchases, helping modernize airports and create construction jobs. Revenues for the AIP come from airport user fees and fuel taxes.

Guarantee $728 million in federal transportation formula funding for Maryland highways

In the next step of the appropriations process, the fiscal year 2013 THUD spending bill will be considered on the Senate floor. A date has not yet been set for that action. ###