Capitol Agenda for the Week of Jan. 2: Tunneling Out of Infrastructure Mess
The week ahead for trucking on Capitol Hill
MTA.info To experience what millions of commuters go through every day in the New York City metropolitan area, I took the Holland Tunnel from the Pulaski Skyway detour on Christmas night and exited via the George Washington Bridge on the following night.
I recognize it was a holiday weekend. But the combined three hours stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic at two of the country’s busiest corridors reminded me of the thousands of times infrastructure advocates have pressed state departments of transportation and federal agencies to modernize roadways and bridges.
A couple of years ago, President Obama said we were a nation of potholes. President-elect Donald Trump, who was actually borrowing from Vice President Biden’s playbook, went further in comparing airports and roadways around New York City to those from Third World countries. Trump’s response to the problem is to send Congress a bill during his first 100 days that would modernize the country’s transportation network. He said the plan would entail investing $1 trillion over the next decade on roads and bridges and airports by giving tax credits to investors. Weeks after the elections, the top Democrats in the House and Senate indicated they would work with Trump on an infrastructure package. Republicans who control the chambers have yet to say when they would take up an infrastructure plan. Congress convenes Jan. 3, and for his first order of business Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to dismantle Obamacare. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who will help McConnell with the dismantling, has yet to say when he would push a tax reform package that would include a long-term funding plan for infrastructure.
The trucking sector is urging lawmakers to make roadways safer and bigger. Failing to repair the potholes impedes the flow of freight, trucking executives say. If federal lawmakers ever need a reminder of an infrastructure mission statement for the 115th Congress, they should visit the House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing room at Rayburn. On the wall next to the portraits of the former transportation chairmen, current Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) had a crew put up the words by philosopher Adam Smith on commercial transportation — to the effect that the three duties of government are to provide security, preserve justice, and erect and maintain public works to facilitate commerce — as well as the section of the U.S. Constitution about Congress’ authority to establish federal postal roads for commerce. For a quick fix to the funding need, the transportation sector would just want Congress to raise the gas tax. To experience the problem firsthand, just hop on the Pulaski Skyway.
The placement of the wreaths & tree drives me crazy. Every. Single. Year. The O in Holland makes sense... #HollandTunnel not #HollaadTonnel pic.twitter.com/kwL7MCSr2X — Joy Huang (@JoyHuangNYC) December 27, 2016
THE WEEK AHEAD (all times ET):
Jan. 4-5, 9 a.m.: The Household Goods Consumer Protection Working Group is scheduled to meet for the first time at the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters.
Jan. 4, 1 p.m.: The American Petroleum Institute hosts its "State of American Energy 2017."
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
FASTLANE: Transportation officials in the Ocean State are among those looking to access federal dollars to help fix a critical freight corridor. RIDOT would like assistance to modernize the Providence Viaduct northbound.
STARS ALIGNING: Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said recently that he sees potential for the country’s transportation funding concerns to be addressed when President-elect Donald Trump’s administration and the Republican-led Congress kick off talks to reform tax policy over the next few months.
TRUCK PARKING: Natso, the group representing truck stop operators nationwide, told Transport Topics it plans to engage with industry partners in a series of working groups this year to determine how to enhance parking availability for truckers.
On the front page of today's @detroitnews: @POTUS presses the accelerator on auto regulations https://t.co/xqAXsu7NnD — Keith Laing (@Keith_Laing) December 27, 2016
WHAT WE’RE READING:
This recent deep dive on pending regulations across the auto sector comes courtesy of Keith Laing of The Detroit News, who also taps Eno Center for Transportation senior fellow Jeff Davis for perspective.
FAVORITE QUOTE
“Given the nation’s need to improve critical infrastructure, it is important to find ways to expedite the process of making repairs and building new constructions and decreasing the regulatory burdens when appropriate.”
— Elaine Chao, Trump’s pick to lead the DOT, in a Senate Commerce Committee questionnaire released Dec. 20.
FAVORITE VIDEO
What does a train sound like? The great Wynton Marsalis gets down with Secretary Anthony Foxx to dish on the sounds of transportation.
FAVORITE TWEET
Add House T&I ranking Democrat Rep. Peter DeFazio to the Trump conflicts-of-interest bandwagon, after calling on the president-elect to not profit from his hotel in Washington, D.C.
@RepPeterDeFazio, @OversightDems: Trump must fully divest ownership of DC hotel to avoid breach, according to GSA https://t.co/CJXqzPLmg0 — Transportation Dems (@TransportDems) December 14, 2016
Thanks for reading Capitol Agenda! We publish Tuesdays when Congress is in session. E-mail emulero@ttnews.com with tips. Follow us @eugenemulero and @transporttopics
