News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chip Weiskotten, 202-226-8553
Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES LEGISLATION TO REBUILD COLLAPSED MINNESOTA BRIDGE

August 3, 2007, Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin voted this evening in support of H.R. 3311, a bill to authorize $250 million for emergency repairs and reconstruction of the Interstate I–35W bridge in Minneapolis, MN, that collapsed on August 1, 2007. The bill, which passed unanimously, will also waive the standard $100 million per state limitation on emergency relief funds.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin said, “I was saddened to learn the news of the catastrophic events in Minneapolis on Wednesday and, like all South Dakotans, continue to hold the victims, their families, friends and emergency workers in my thoughts and prayers. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives took an important and necessary step in the clean up and rebuilding process.”

Rep. Herseth Sandlin noted the growing number of deteriorating bridges around the nation. A report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics that found that 26.2% of all bridges in the United States have some sort of structural deficiency, and up to 40% may be functionally obsolete – meaning they now carry more traffic than planned or anticipated. Those statistics underscore the need for adequately funding legislation such as SAFETEA-LU, passed by Congress in 2005, which allocate funds for transportation projects such as bridge rehabilitation.

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Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.