Key Senator To Support Short-Term Highway Trust Fund Fix
At a hearing considering the nominations of two senior Department of Transportation officials June 11, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said he would support a short-term legislative fix prior to the August congressional recess that would shore up a depleted federal highway account.
“As we look toward a long-term solution, I hope we can come up with a short-term solution that at least addresses the immediate crisis in front of us,” said Thune, ranking member on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
The Highway Trust Fund is an account the Department of Transportation uses to help states finance large-scale infrastructure projects. DOT estimates the fund will run out of money as early as late July, a scenario that could prompt states to halt construction programs this summer and lead to an economic slowdown.
Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) agreed mostly with Thune’s sentiment, noting that his colleagues are running out of time to approve a long-term legislative funding solution that would keep the fund solvent for several years.
The committee convened to consider the nominations of Victor Mendez to become deputy secretary of transportation, and Peter Rogoff to become undersecretary of transportation for policy. They are serving in those capacities on an acting basis.
Members of the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the fund’s finances, said this week they were readying a six-month fix for the trust fund. Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said he will schedule a hearing in July “to look for innovative ways to fix the depleted Highway Trust Fund and keep hard-working Americans on the job without diverting revenues from repatriation needed for tax reform.”
While senators have yet to unveil their plan, Democratic leaders quickly rejected a recent House proposal to eliminate most U.S. mail deliveries on Saturdays. Doing so, House GOP leaders argued, would result in savings that could be used to finance a one-year extension of the fund.
