To watch Chairman Capito’s questions, click here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a hearing examining the implementation of surface transportation policies and funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). During the hearing, Chairman Capito questioned surface transportation stakeholders about their perspective on IIJA implementation.

HIGHLIGHTS:

SUCCESSES AND SHORTFALLS:

Chairman Capito: 

“You've touched on this, all of you have in your statements, but just concisely, what part of the IIJA had the greatest benefit for your experience, and which one has presented the greatest challenge?”

Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation on behalf of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO):

“The greatest benefit comes from what we consider the core formula programs, that being National Highway Priority Program, the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, which is truly the most flexible to use for the states and MPOs.”

“Some of those challenges out of the IIJA in Georgia have been some of the new programs, again, to Mr. Carroll's testimony, things are happening and we need to be able to be responsive.”

Gary Johnson, Vice President, Granite Construction on behalf of the Transportation Construction Coalition:

“Chairman, I think obviously the greatest benefit is the amount of money coming down the formula funding. It took a while to get started. It was delayed a little bit from authorization to appropriation in ‘21 and ‘22 but since then, we've seen a lot of money coming into the states that we work in.”

NEVI PROGRAM EFFICIENCY: “A quick comment about the NEVI program…$1.8 billion had been released for that program. But I want to point out that $1.8 billion has resulted in 58 chargers being built in three and a half years, and in 15 states…so, I mean, if we're – efficiencies and moving things quicker, I'm not sure that that program is a good example of the best way the federal government.”

Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement.

Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s questions.

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