Hultgren Files Amendment Banning Department of Transportation from Lobbying on Pending Legislation

Topics:  U.S. Department of Transportation

Congressman Randy Hultgren
November 3, 2015

Washington, DC — U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14), with Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05), has filed an amendment to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3763) that would prohibit funding to the Secretary of Transportation for lobbying any Federal, State, or local legislation. This amendment would not prevent departments or agencies from requesting legislation or appropriations, or communicating with Members of Congress through the proper channels.

“Taxpayers should not be paying for government agencies to lobby on behalf of their own special interests, especially when they are seeking to impose unnecessary regulations on motorcyclists. This common sense amendment will help ensure the Department of Transportation uses tax dollars wisely instead of using their resources to influence policy,” said Rep. Hultgren. “We should be directing our efforts on encouraging motorcycle safety through education, not by wasting taxpayer dollars on intrusive governmental overreach that only serves to cost the taxpayer more at the expense of motorcyclists.”

The amendment would reinstate previous law, prohibiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from lobbying on behalf of motorcycle safety matters. It reinforces language already approved by the House last year as a part of H.R. 4745, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, and within the manager’s amendment for H.R. 860 in the 105th Congress.

Rep. Hultgren has cosponsored similar legislation this Congress including H.R. 1861, the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act.