WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee’s (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, today joined EPW Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) to introduce America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019. The bipartisan legislation authorizes $287 billion over five years—including $259 billion for formula programs—to maintain and repair America’s roads and bridges.
 
The total represents an increase of over 27 percent from FAST Act levels, making it the largest highway legislation in history. It includes provisions to improve road safety, streamline project delivery, protect the environment, and grow the economy. Committee leaders agree the legislation will be paid for and plan to mark up the bill on July 30.
 
“Having safe, reliable infrastructure is critically important to so many aspects of our lives—from getting to and from work and school or traveling long distances to supporting commerce and driving economic growth. Not only will this comprehensive, bipartisan legislation help us rebuild and repair America’s infrastructure system, but it will also help create new infrastructure opportunities now and for future generations,” Senator Capito said. “I’m proud of the work my colleagues and I have done on this legislation, especially several provisions I included in the bill to focus on rural states like West Virginia and to encourage development and improve infrastructure, including both surface and broadband infrastructure, in Appalachia. I look forward to continuing our work together to advance this legislation—which I’m certain will help improve travel on roads, bridges, and highways, as well as quality of life, for Americans across the country.”
 
Among other provisions, the legislation:
  

  • Authorizes $287 billion in highway spending and is the most substantial highway legislation in history.

 

  • Authorizes $259 billion to be distributed to states by formula.

 

  • Codifies key tenets of the “One Federal Decision” policy to streamline project delivery and federal approvals.

 

  • Establishes a program to support projects that will improve the resiliency of roads and bridges to natural disasters and extreme weather events.

 

  • Authorizes a mix of formula-based and grant-based programs to begin to reduce transportation-related emissions.

 
America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act also includes three bills Senator Capito introduced last week with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that would help build and improve transportation infrastructure and encourage economic development in Appalachia: the Appalachian Regional Commission Reauthorization Act, which is also cosponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.); the Advancing Infrastructure Development (AID) in Appalachia Act; and the Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative Act. Additional information on those bills is available here.
 
Read the text of the full legislation here.
 
Read a summary of the legislation here.
 
Read the section-by-section of the legislation here.

 

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