IIJA priorities subject to reshaping as program moves forward.
ARTBA intensifying advocacy for designated funding in final two years.
In his first appearance before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee April 2, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared the administration’s priorities for road and bridge programs.
“Building big, beautiful infrastructure that Americans are paying for with their hard-earned dollars – that’s a top priority,” Duffy testified. “Let’s do it efficiently. Let’s cut the red tape. We can still protect the environment, but let’s move these projects faster. Lawmakers on all sides of the aisle can agree that infrastructure projects are taking way too long to complete.”
Recent work on the extensive Route 37 improvements largely made possible through $41 million in federal TIGER and BUILD grants.
While the emphasis on efficiency and cutting of red tape is good news for companies in the transportation construction industry, and bipartisan efforts are being advanced on several fronts, questions remain about whether regulations for streamlining can advance smoothly through a politically divided Congress. There are also concerns the eventual spending package may not include the full highway and transit investment levels promised in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Other highlights of the April 2 EPW hearing include:
Funding and Revenue: Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) called for increased funding for highway formula programs in the next surface transportation law. Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) called for a “robust and bipartisan highway bill.” Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) raised the issue of electric vehicles (EVs) not paying into the Highway Trust Fund. She is a co-sponsor of the ARTBA-supported Fair SHARE Act that would ensure EVs pay a fee for road use.
Discretionary Grants: Senators from both parties pressed Secretary Duffy on advancing stalled discretionary grant awards. Duffy noted there are 3,200 announced projects without signed grant agreements, but he said the agency is working through the backlog as quickly as possible.
Permitting: The EPW Committee is working in a bipartisan manner on permitting reform legislation, for which Duffy expressed support. He noted they need to make sure they are “taking the full meaning” of One Federal Decision language included in the infrastructure law and will work to streamline the permitting process even further.
What’s Next: The EPW Committee is in the process of crafting a framework to address permitting improvements and plans to turn to a surface transportation bill later this year. A year-long Continuing Resolution (CR) is also still being considered, which would lock in highway and public transportation spending at FY 2024 levels, resulting in a $1.2 billion cut in federal highway funding and a $500 million cut in transit funding.
