DC: Fifty House Members Call for Parity In Mass Transit-Parking Benefit

Dec. 15, 2011
Fifty House members have called on their leaders to include in any year-end legislative package language that would stop the mass transit subsidy from dropping to $125 per month and would establish parity between it and the parking benefit.

Fifty House members have called on their leaders to include in any year-end legislative package language that would stop the mass transit subsidy from dropping to $125 per month and would establish parity between it and the parking benefit.

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has been leading the effort to continue the mass transit benefit at the current level. Without legislation, the monthly benefit amount for federal workers who use mass transit to commute to and from work will revert to $125 per month, down from the current $230 monthly benefit. The higher amount was enacted a year-ago and, without legislation, will revert at the end of this year.

"I welcome the support of these members of the House in providing an appropriate benefit that helps struggling federal employees and has a positive impact on traffic congestion and the environment," said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. "This is an important benefit in its own right, and it takes on even greater importance in light of the continuing two-year pay freeze affecting federal employees."

A failure to pass legislation halting the drop to $125 per month would increase costs by nearly $1,000 a year on millions of working Americans, the letter to Republican and Democratic leaders in the House said.

The members of Congress added: "Maintaining parity provides American workers with an incentive to use public transportation and vanpools for their commute. This provision helps ease traffic congestion, reduces our nation's dependence on foreign sources of oil, and provides small businesses with a financial incentive help their employees increase their disposable income."

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