Yet Another Thing To Blame Bush For

Thanks to the Bush Administration’s solid lock on Congress, that giant vat of federal money for congestion pricing is a slam dunk:

A powerful congressman has warned Gov. Spitzer and legislative leaders that the $500 million in federal aid that Mayor Bloomberg claims will be available for his congestion-pricing plan has not been approved.

Rep. Peter DeFasio (D-Ore.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, told Spitzer, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno in a letter that even if the money is eventually authorized, New York City may not be eligible to receive it.

“I write to express my concerns about the assurances by [U.S. Transportation] Secretary Mary Peters . . . that New York City will receive a significant amount of federal funding for implementation of Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed congestion-pricing program,” DeFasio wrote in the letter obtained by The Post.

“You should know that Congress has not authorized the [Transportation Department’s] Congestion Initiative or its component parts,” DeFasio added.

DeFasio told Spitzer he had “serious doubts that New York City or Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion-pricing program” would be eligible for federal funding under several DOT projects from which the funds had been expected to come.

“Before you rush to enact legislation authorizing the establishment of Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion-pricing program, I urge that you obtain all the relevant information, including asking Secretary Peters and DOT for clarification, and written assurances, that New York City will be eligible to receive federal funding under the programs,” wrote DeFasio in the letter to Spitzer, which was copied to Silver and Bruno.

“I caution you to carefully consider the expectation that the federal government will deliver those funds,” he continued.