Emily

This bill is critically important to the future of the mom-and-pop businesses and small towns up and down Route 66 that depend on heritage tourism to survive. This woefully underfunded program is one of the most cost-effective pieces of legislation ever to come out of Washington. The private sector matches each grant dollar-for-dollar, and while no formal study has been completed to date, anecdotal evidence suggests that the economic impact to the communities served by the program -- communities that depend on Route 66 tourism for their very survival -- dramatically outweighs the program's actual cost. Perhaps more significant is the symbolic benefit: How could any American oppose a program whose whole raison d'etre is to preserve the historic and cultural landmarks of what is arguably the most famous road on the planet?