Barbara Boxer and infamous global warming denier James Inhofe will present an amendment to the Senate stimulus plan that could funnel as much as $50 billion in additional funding to highways, Streetsblog has learned. Friends of the Earth tells us that Boxer’s staff confirmed she will introduce the amendment, which could bring the total for highways close to $80 billion, exactly the figure Inhofe demanded last week in a letter to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. 

The amendment is expected within the hour, according to Kate McMahon of Friends of the Earth. Inhofe press director Marc Morano didn’t deny the number, but said "a lot is going on today and I’ll confirm with you shortly."

Both Friends of the Earth and Environmental Defense are sending action alerts to their activists, the first suggesting calls to Boxer, the second urging constituents to contact their own Senators to demand a "No" vote on the amendment.

Stay tuned for more information.

EDF action alert here.

Friends of the Earth action alert:

The U.S. Senate is working on its economic stimulus package today. Already,
the bill includes $27 billion that can be used to build unnecessary new roads,
despite the fact that such spending will create fewer jobs than investments in
clean transportation projects. New roads will also lead to more global warming
pollution and oil consumption.

Last week we had a victory in the House
of Representatives when we increased funding for clean transportation by $3
billion. Unfortunately, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is threatening to undo that
progress.

Senator Boxer is planning to propose an amendment today that
would add another $50 billion in new road funding to the stimulus. Such an
amendment would undermine President Obama’s goal of a "green" stimulus and
represent a huge setback in the fight against global warming.

We need
your help to change Senator Boxer’s mind. Please call her office NOW at
202-224-3553 and ask her to NOT offer this amendment.