Sen. Patty Murray's (D-WA) amendment to the Senate-side stimulus package that would have added $5 billion for mass transit was voted down yesterday 58-35.

Murray sought "emergency designation" for the amendment, to overcome GOP opposition to the measure's addition of $25 billion to the $819 billion package without a corresponding cut in other initiatives. Republican Senators said the amendment added too much additional spending.

The amendment would have provided billions of dollars in additional funds to roads ($13 billion) and transit ($5 billion) and water infrastructure projects ($7 billion), and was co-sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

The current stimulus package allots about $8.4 billion to transit initiatives. Murray's package would have brought that total up to $13.4 billion and provided for the creation of about 139,000 additional jobs, she says.

Murray's office said they are reviewing other options the Senator may pursue to add infrastructure funds, including the mass transit money, to the package.

"This doesn't mean she won't keep pushing," Murray spokesman Matt McAlvanah told PubliCola.