Capitol Agenda for the Week of Jan. 31: Infrastructure Needs? Wait Your Turn
Local and regional economies — as well as the public's safety — are in jeopardy unless action is taken on some of the nation's hardest-hit infrastructure projects, state governors told the Trump administration. The list includes 15 bridges on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia; the Arlington Memorial Bridge connecting Northern Virginia to Washington, D.C.; the Kansas City (Missouri) Airport; river locks in Illinois; the Savannah (Georgia) Harbor expansion acceleration project, the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario; the Huntington Beach (California) desalination plant; and the Brent Spence Bridge connecting Cincinnati to northern Kentucky.
President Trump has touted a plan to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure over 10 years by providing tax credits to investors. With his administration equipped with the list of projects from the governors, the president told Republicans at their policy retreat in Philadelphia last week, “We will build new roads and highways and tunnels and airports and railways across the nation.”
But Republicans who control Congress, aware of the 50 infrastructure projects and many other canals, freight corridors and transit systems that fail constituents daily, admitted they did not carve out space in their upcoming 200-day agenda for advancing a significant infrastructure package that would align with Trump’s vision. Debate over a Supreme Court nominee, repealing and replacing Obamacare, and reforming the tax code have been given greater emphasis than ensuring trucks are not stuck in traffic in the City of Brotherly Love and elsewhere. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has said a sustainable funding fix for highway programs could be incorporated in a tax reform package.
Other infrastructure funding proposals will be addressed when the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meets Feb. 1.
FedEx Corp. Chairman and CEO Fred Smith, BMW of North America President and CEO Ludwig Willisch and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka are scheduled to testify before policymakers about how they would like the transportation network to operate and be funded. The committee’s chairman, Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), has acknowledged the bridges in his home state and around the country need fixing. However, just like the speaker of the House, the chairman also has acknowledged his committee passed and the White House signed a five-year highway bill that keeps highway funding flowing through fiscal 2021. Basically, what they’re saying is they have a few years to figure this thing out.
THE WEEK AHEAD (all times ET):
Jan. 31-Feb. 5: The Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association’s 75th Washington Auto Show at the Washington Convention Center.
Jan. 31, 10 a.m.: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee holds its organizational meeting for the 115th Congress.
Jan. 31, 12 p.m.: The Senate is expected to vote on the nomination of Elaine Chao to become the secretary of transportation.
Feb. 1, 10 a.m.: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee explores infrastructure funding options during a hearing titled, "Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America." (watch live)
Feb. 1, 10 a.m.: The Senate Commerce Committee examines the regulatory landscape during a hearing titled, “A Growth Agenda: Reducing Unnecessary Regulatory Burdens.”
Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m.: The Senate Budget Committee meets to review the Congressional Budget Office's budget and economic outlook.
Feb. 2, 10 a.m.: The House Budget Committee meets to review the Congressional Budget Office's budget and economic outlook.
Feb. 2, 2 p.m.: The Build America Bureau, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, hosts a webinar on public-private partnerships.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Sandoval, McAugliffe by Rebecca Drobis for the NGAGOVERNORS: States need assistance from the Trump administration with funding for highway projects, Govs. Terry McAuliffe (D) and Brian Sandoval (R), chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Governors Association said during the 2017 State of the States address.
GHG: Eight states and five environmental groups filed motions with a federal appellate court Jan. 23 asking to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association against two federal agencies over the Phase 2 greenhouse-gas rule on truck emissions.
BURNLEY: President Reagan’s secretary of transportation, James Burnley, told Transport Topics congressional leaders should consider establishing an infrastructure bank with revenue from a low tax rate on repatriated overseas profits.
WHAT WE’RE READING:
Forget about jobs moving to Mexico. Robots are likely to replace workers in the coming years, writes Farhad Manjoo in The New York Times.
How to Make America’s Robots Great Again: my @nytimes column on how we're losing to China's robotics industry https://t.co/CeGSBjG76G — Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) January 25, 2017
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“The Trump administration and Congress should focus more on getting the federal government out of the funding side and focusing on creating a sort of broad-based liberal regulatory regime that can allow the private sector, and states and local governments to flourish.”
— Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, at the Heritage Foundation on Jan. 27.
FAVORITE VIDEO:
The T&I chairman on how Congress should address infrastructure. Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com
FAVORITE TWEET:
An argument for raising taxes on fuels.
Idaho's gas tax increase has led to transportation improvements https://t.co/M3HURNB5y0 — ASCE Gov't Relations (@ASCEGovRel) January 25, 2017
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
