Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy: House to Focus on Infrastructure Next Year
The U.S. House will be prepared to craft legislation next year that would provide long-term infrastructure funding for freight and commuter corridors around the country, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Nov. 14.
McCarthy, speaking with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, was addressing whether Republican leaders plan on adopting President-elect Donald Trump’s 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure proposal during Trump’s administration.
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“We passed a long-term bipartisan highway bill, which hadn't been done in more than a decade. It's smart to plan a long-term one,” McCarthy said, referring to the five-year FAST Act highway law signed in December.
“America needs to focus on its infrastructure. It makes us more effective and more efficient. I think there is a place we could find common ground with Republicans and Democrats,” McCarthy added.
Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill on Nov. 14 to finalize federal funding legislation for fiscal 2017 during a lame-duck session expected to last through mid-December. When the next Congress convenes in January, GOP transportation leaders in the House and Senate have indicated a willingness to come up with concepts for a long-term highway funding plan. Funding for big-scale infrastructure projects expires in fiscal 2020.
During the presidential campaign, Trump promoted a $1 trillion plan with the intent of repairing roads and bridges through the next decade by relying on private financing.
