Rivertowns.net: U.S. House members back vote on bridge bill
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) together with House members Michelle Bachmann (MN-06), Sean Duffy (WI-07), Reid Ribble (WI-08), Chip Cravaack (MN-08), Thomas Petri (WI-06), Tim Walz (MN-01) and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (WI-02), sent a letter to Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings regarding H.R. 850, a bill facilitating a new St. Croix River Crossing.
“There is clearly widespread agreement that a new bridge needs to be built,” said Kind. “I am pleased that both Secretary LaHood and Secretary Salazar see the urgency of the situation and understand that building this bridge helps meet the transportation needs of the community. Along with the bipartisan support of both Governors as well as my colleagues in Congress, this meeting adds momentum to getting this project across the finish line.”
H.R. 850 facilitates a four-lane crossing connecting Oak Park Heights, Minn. and St. Joseph Township, Wisc. in the Lower St. Croix Valley. Introduced March 1, 2011, this bill allows construction of a proposed crossing to move forward without further delay. The Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction on the legislation.
Those in attendance at the recent meeting included U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Al Franken and Ron Johnson, Reps. Duffy, Bachmann (by phone), McCollum, Petri, Kind, Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb, Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, and Federal Highway Administrator Victor Menendez.
