Federal Mass Transportation Act of 1974 (H.R. 12859). The vote is on the Harsha substitute to reduce all federal spending on mass transportation from $20 billion to $11 billion. The bill was intended to be a comprehensive 6 year program to fund existing systems as well as new transit operations in both cities and rural areas. The American Public Transit Association estimated that $3 to $4 billion per year would be needed just to fund new transit systems. By allocating only $1.8 billion per year, the Harsha substitute bill would allow many systems to decay, losing more riders and increasing operating deficits. Thus the nation would be forced to rely even more heavily on automobiles, causing increased air pollution and gasoline consumption, whose rising prices have a major inflationary impact. The Ford Administration supported the amendment. August 20, 1974. Passed 257-155. NO is the correct vote.