CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today released the below statement after the U.S. House of Representatives postponed the vote on the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and instead, passed an extension of surface transportation programs through October 31.
“I’m deeply disappointed that the House decided to postpone the vote on the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This legislation would have provided meaningful investments to help improve our nation’s infrastructure, boost economic growth, and create jobs. This legislation, which also passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support in August, was developed with a process of give and take, putting the needs of the American people first.
“This package also included a historic, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill led by the EPW Committee on which I serve as Ranking Member. The best way to continue these programs and provide long-term certainty to state departments of transportation and others was for the House to pass the bipartisan infrastructure package. However, that’s not what happened. As a result, we had to pass an extension today to avoid a further lapse in authorization for these programs. A further lapse in funding would have jeopardized future projects that are necessary to ensure the safety and efficiency of our roads and bridges. Our economy and the American people depend on this core infrastructure every day.
“This week shows the fallacy of House Democrats holding a bipartisan infrastructure package hostage to try to force passage of the $3.5 trillion reckless tax and spending spree. While I supported the extension, these programs cannot operate effectively while jumping from stopgap to stopgap. This is all the more reason for the House to act quickly and pass the bipartisan infrastructure package so we can move this across the finish line and get it to the president’s desk for his signature.”
# # #