The rule change proposal would repeal the current "point of order" provisions in the House rules that protect the funding guarantees for highway and transit programs included in the 2005 federal surface transportation authorization law known as "SAFETEA-LU."

Tuesday's letter from the 21 organizations notes their "strong objection" to the provision that would affect transportation funding guarantees.

That provision, if adopted, "would hurt investment in transportation infrastructure, reduce jobs, and break faith with the American taxpayer," the letter states. "The current House rule (Rule XXI, Clause 3) ensures that all of the revenues that taxpayers pay into the Highway Trust Fund are used for highway and transit improvements on an annual basis."

The proposed changes were released Dec. 23 by House Republican leaders. Republicans are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss any modifications to the rules package, which will then be voted on Wednesday when Congress convenes for its 112th session.

Prior to the adoption of the present rule regarding transportation funding guarantees in 1998, it was common for Congress to reduce Highway Trust Fund disbursements so that spending elsewhere could be increased.

"As a result of these abuses, the balances in the trust fund soared, while much-needed infrastructure investment was deferred," the letter states. "Transportation projects are frequently multiyear endeavors and are the product of a transportation planning process that must look years into the future. As such, federal highway and transit investments must be stable and predictable to allow states to maximize efficiency and public benefit in delivering transportation improvements."

Proposed House rules changes "would sever the user-financed basis of the Highway Trust Fund, and make annual federal highway and transit investments subject to the whims of the appropriations process," the letter continues. "In so doing, this proposal would inject further uncertainty into an already destabilized U.S. transportation construction marketplace."

The proposed rule states that a transportation bill is out of order only if it spends money in the Highway Trust Fund for nontransportation purposes or if it "reduces or otherwise limits the accruing balances of the Highway Trust Fund, for any purpose other than for those activities authorized for the highway or mass transit categories," The Hill reported.

"The only thing that is propping up construction industry is the notion that there is a stable funding," Janet Kavinoky, director of transportation infrastructure for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told the newspaper. "If you make this change now and open the possibility to reduce the amount of funding, you are inserting uncertainty to the construction industry, and that is bad for near-term economic growth."

GOP leadership defended the rule Tuesday.

"Creating jobs and bringing down our massive federal deficit will require us to set priorities and start living within our means," Brendan Buck, spokesman for the Republican transition team, said in an e-mail to The Hill. "This proposal simply ensures we won't be required to spend more on transportation projects than we take in. At the same time, it protects the Highway Trust Fund by ensuring every penny of the gas tax is spent on highway and transit projects, rather than diverted to pay for other items."

The letter is available at bit.ly/rulesletter122810, the proposed House rules are available at bit.ly/HRES5rules, and a section-by-section analysis of the changes is available at bit.ly/HRES5analysis.