XXXX Opposed Tying Grant Awards to Seat Belt Use Rates. In 2005, XXXX opposed an amendment that would revise the Occupant Protection Incentive Grant Program to base grant awards on an 85 percent safety belt use rate in the preceding calendar year. It would remove the requirement that to receive funds under the program, states must either have a primary safety belt law in effect, or have a safety belt use rate of 90 percent. [HR 3, Vote 123, 5/17/05] XXXX Supported $283.9 Billion in Highway Funding. In 2005, XXXX voted to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill that authorized $283.9 billion for federal-aid highway, mass transit, safety and research programs from fiscal 2004 through 2009. [Vote 110, 4/26/05] XXXX Voted For $318 Billion in Transportation Funding. In 2004, XXXX, voted for a bill to authorize $318 billion in federal aid for highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs over six years, including $255 billion for highways, $57 billion for transit, and $6 billion for safety programs. This bill would ensure that states receive a 95 percent return on their Highway Trust Fund contributions by 2009. [S 1072, Vote 14, 2/12/04] XXXX Voted For the Highway Aid Amendment. In 2004, XXXX voted for invoking cloture on an amendment that authorized $318 billion in federal aid for highways, highway safety programs and transit programs over six years. [Vote 10, 2/12/04] XXXX Voted For $318 Billion in Highway Program Funding. In 2004, XXXX voted for invoking cloture on the motion to proceed to consideration of the a bill that authorized $318 billion in federal aid for highways, highway safety programs and transit programs over six years. [Vote 7, 2/2/04] XXXX Voted To Increase Highway Spending By $10 Billion Over 6 Years. In 2003, XXXX voted against increasing highway spending by about $10 billion annually for six years. The amendment would also increase “red ink” by contributing to the deficit. [Vote 79, 3/21/03; AP, 3/21/03] XXXX Voted For An Amendment To Modify An Iowa Highway Project. In 2000, XXXX voted for an amendment would modify a highway project in Iowa. The amendment was agreed to, 97-0. [Vote 129, 6/14/00] SAFETY XXXX Voted Against Tougher Seatbelt Laws. In 2004, XXXX voted to kill an amendment that required states to prove a 90 percent seat belt use rate or enact primary seat belt laws by fiscal 2006. If a state did not meet either requirement, 5 percent of a state’s highway construction funds would be transferred to highway safety programs in fiscal 2006. If a state still had not met either requirement by fiscal 2008, 2 percent of the state’s highway construction funds would be withheld. In subsequent fiscal years, 4 percent would be withheld. [Vote 9, 2/11/04] XXXX Opposed Linking Grant Awards to Seat Belt Use Rates Instead of Having Seatbelt Law. In 2005, XXXX opposed an amendment that revised the Occupant Protection Incentive Grant Program to base grant awards on an 85 percent safety belt use rate in the preceding calendar year. It would remove the requirement that to receive funds under the program, states must either have a primary safety belt law in effect, or have a safety belt use rate of 90 percent. [Vote 123, 5/17/05] Robetrs Voted Against Linking Federal Funding for Motorcycle Safety Programs to State Helmet Laws. In 2005, XXXX voted against an amendment which stipulated that funding for motorcycle safety training programs in states without helmet laws come out of the state’s share of federal highway funds. [Vote 120, 5/11/05]  “Last month, the Department of Transportation (DOT) released preliminary findings that 3,927 people were killed in motorcycle crashes last year. This is almost double the number of motorcycle crash victims ten years ago, when the federal motorcycle helmet law was repealed. Lautenberg noted that the increase in deaths cannot be attributed to more riders on the road, because the rate of deaths per mile traveled has almost doubled over the same period.” [Lautenberg Press Release, 5/11/05] 299