Tulsa - Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe says if Congress fails to act soon on a highway recission issue, an estimated 1,350 Oklahoma jobs, as well as 40-million dollars in projects are at stake.

The highway program is set to expire on Wednesday. Inhofe is urging Congress to pass an extension of the program when it returns on Tuesday, saying if they fail to act, states could be forced to cancel or delay 400-to-600-million dollars of projects, which will cost the nation thousands of jobs.

"In my home state of Oklahoma alone, we stand to lose up to an estimated 1,350 Oklahoma jobs and $40 million in projects if Congress fails to act," Inhofe, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said. "I am concerned that this failure would unnecessarily punish cash-strapped state DOTs.  This is detrimental to every state and the entire highway program, and needs to be resolved immediately."

"As Congress returns tomorrow, I will be working to ensure saving these hundreds of thousands of jobs is priority one," he adds. "If we are going to make a full economic recovery, the last thing Congress should be doing is engaging in more politics as usual that would lead to additional jobs lost. It's time for Washington to get its act together and pass a long-term highway extension with a rescission fix."

Inhofe says with billions of dollars 'pouring out of Washington' these days, "it is outrageous that we continue to face transportation shortfalls".

"I have said repeatedly that transportation infrastructure is one of the best forms of stimulus spending that the government has at its disposal," Inhofe said. "The economic benefits from transportation investment include both the immediate job creation from construction in addition to the long-term economic benefits associated with the completed project. It's time for Congress to get our priorities straight and invest in areas that will ensure long-term economic growth."

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