House Leaders Wary About Public-Private Deals

House transportation committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and highways subcommittee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) are warning states not to rely too much on private financing for highways. In a May 10 letter, the lawmakers cautioned governors and other officials “against rushing into [public-private partnerships] that do not fully protect the public interest, the integrity of the national system and which do not constitute a sustainable national system of transportation financing.”