According to the Center “the number of cities and counties lobbying on transportation had grown by 80 percent since the last time a transportation bill was about to expire, in the fall of 2003.”

Ban on tax delinquents

President Obama has told heads of executive departments and agencies to clamp down on contractors behind on their taxes. In a memorandum to them, the President said:

 “The Federal Government pays more than half a trillion dollars a year to contractors and has an important obligation to protect American taxpayer money and the integrity of the Federal acquisition process. Yet reports by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) state that Federal contracts are awarded to tens of thousands of companies with serious tax delinquencies. The total amount in unpaid taxes owed by these contracting companies is estimated to be more than $5 billion.

 “Too often, Federal contracting officials do not have the most basic information they need to make informed judgments about whether a company trying to win a Federal contract is delinquent in paying its taxes. We need to give our contracting officials the tools they need to protect taxpayer dollars. Accordingly, I hereby direct the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to conduct a review of certifications of non-delinquency in taxes that companies bidding for Federal contracts are required to submit pursuant to a 2008 amendment to the Federal Acquisition Regulation.”