Applause goes to both houses of Congress for passing legislation to extend the cash flow for surface transportation funding for 3 months. In other words, our leaders in Congress kicked the can down the street for the 34th time since 2009. The discussion on a long-term Highway Trust Fund will take place this fall before the funding runs out on October 29, 2015.
The time for real movement to put a solution in place is now. And it appears that Congress is taking the Highway Trust Fund seriously. After all, it’s about trust with the American people for Congress to be a good steward of the funds needed to fix our crumbling roads and infrastructure. A strong America needs a foundation of transportation from coast to coast.
SENATE ACTION
Earlier this month, by a bipartisan vote of 65 to 34, the U.S. Senate passed a 6-year surface transportation authorization. Passage of the “Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act” or the DRIVE Act represents a major step toward completion of a robust highway bill this fall. Co-sponsored by Senators James Inhofe (R-OK), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), David Vitter (R-LA), and Tom Carper (D-LA), the bill would provide more than $40 billion in revenues to cover shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund during the first 3 years of the legislation’s 6-year authorization.
3-MONTH EXTENSION
Averting the July 31st expiration of current surface transportation authority, the Senate also passed a 3-month infrastructure extension that funds road and bridge projects through this year’s construction season, and provides more time for Congress to finish work on a multi-year authorization in the coming months. The short-term extension, already approved by the House, now awaits the President’s signature.
“Supporting the nation’s infrastructure is one of the basic functions of our government,” says James G. Toscas, president and CEO of the Portland Cement Association (PCA). “Years of short-term stopgap measures have left our transportation system in terrible shape. Let’s be honest: we won’t be happy until this country has a long-term transportation bill with a sustainable funding mechanism. While today’s action is also a stopgap measure, we’re encouraged because it’s specifically aimed at giving Congress time to work on the DRIVE Act. Hopefully this 3-month extension will be signed into law, and will be the last short-term transportation authorization we’ll see for many years.”
THE DRIVE ACT
PCA has long called for passage of a multi-year highway bill like the DRIVE Act. The DRIVE Act would finally break the pattern of repeated short-term patches, which have failed to provide the long-term investment needed to properly maintain and expand our nation’s transportation infrastructure.
“We need to do everything we can to help our economy,” says Toscas. “The economy depends on safe and efficient transportation. As our economy struggles to grow, transportation demands increase. After years of inadequate investment, the present system is simply not up to the task, and could end up choking the economy. The DRIVE Act will be a big step toward fixing this with sound infrastructure investment, and the latest Senate action is a step toward the DRIVE Act.” ■
For More Information: PCA has been a widely-recognized authority on the technology, economics, and applications of cement and concrete for nearly 100 years. On behalf of America’s cement manufacturers, PCA consistently advocates sustainability, economic growth, sound infrastructure investment, innovation, and overall excellence in construction. More information on PCA is available at www.cement.org.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, August 2015
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