The Colorado Independent reports that six of Colorado’s seven representatives in Washington, D.C., signed onto a letter last week asking Congress to suspend the state’s obligation to pay back more than $100 million dollars in transportation funds, a sum that amounts to roughly 25 percent of the federal stimulus money received by the Colorado Department of Transportation for highways this year.

Although Republican Mike Coffman of the 6th Congressional District signed on to the letter, he later joined fellow Republican Doug Lamborn of the 5th District in a vote against the matter.

The state’s five Democratic representatives voted in favor of a three-month extension of the Transportation Equity Act.

Read the entire article at The Colorado Independent.

The House passed legislation this afternoon sponsored by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-MN to extend the Federal law authorizing spending on federal-aid highways and transit projects which was set to expire on September 30, Reason Foundation blogger Shirley Ybarra writes.

Most importantly, the legislation does not address a looming $8.7 billion rescission of existing contract authority (enacted in the 2005 transportation law known as SAFETEA-LU and amended by a 2007 energy law), which will be executed next week by the Federal Highway Administration if not repealed. Oberstar did not discuss the rescission issue on the House floor, but his spokesman said a repeal of the rescission was left out of the measure because House rules would require an offset to pay for it through higher taxes or reduced spending elsewhere.

The rescission issue is a very real problem for the state departments of transportation as they will be negatively impacted in a total of $8.7 billion.

“This rescission will amount to real dollar losses to programs and projects, and will have a devastating effect on many state departments of transportation and reverse the positive economic gains brought about by the recovery act,” John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “Colorado would lose $115 million in contract authority.”

The U.S. House approved legislation Wednesday to temporarily extend current funding levels for highway-construction and aviation programs. The moves effectively delay planned overhauls of federal transportation policies until at least next year, Dow Jones reports.

The House voted to extend funding formulas for construction of highways, bridges and mass transit for another three months. Separately, the House voted to extend the taxing and spending authority of the Federal Aviation Administration for another three months.

Both laws are set to expire Sept. 30. The Senate has yet to act on either matter.