Rep. DeFazio Previews US House Highway Bill
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On a sunny afternoon last week, Rep. Peter DeFazio, the leader of transportation affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives, met with this columnist at his office in the Rayburn building. A massive map of his congressional district dominated the decor, which also included banners of colleges from Oregon and policy memorabilia.
During a wide-ranging interview, the transportation chairman promoted the comprehensive highway policy legislation he is sponsoring this year. DeFazio (D-Ore.) emphasized what he described as the urgent need for House colleagues to pass his five-year, $547 billion bill prior to July 4. The bill, he explained, aims to boost infrastructure’s resilience to severe-weather events, facilitate access to transportation technologies and take the country away from the Eisenhower-esque focus on highways.
“[The highway bill] is going to rebuild the system … resilient to climate change,” he told Transport Topics on June 16. DeFazio also criticized the politics associated with the bill’s consideration, as well as the U.S. Senate’s arcane budget rules and the opposition to climate change.
Mulero
“The Republicans say they want [severe-weather] resilience, ‘The sea level is rising. Hurricanes are getting worse. We want resilience.’ And I said, ‘Ok, well, then can we deal with climate change.’ They say, ‘No, no, no. That has nothing to do with climate change. Climate change is fake. It doesn’t exist.’ So, somehow, mysteriously, sea levels are rising. Somehow, mysteriously, hurricanes are becoming more intense and we’re having bizarre severe-weather events and they’re fully willing to work on those things but they’re not willing to talk about what the root-cause might be. It’s not allowed because [former President] Donald Trump wouldn’t like it,” DeFazio said.
On traffic congestion, he noted: “People are pretty tired of congestion. They’re pretty tired of repair costs [because] of potholes. They’re tired of detours. Companies are losing money because of congestion and delays. This bill is going to be a major investment in, the largest single investment in surface transportation infrastructure, ever.”
INVEST in America Act by Transport Topics on Scribd
Per technology, DeFazio observed, “Right now we’re betting on electrification and [FedEx Chairman] Fred Smith is betting on electrification. He testified before the committee. I had a hearing on the business case for electrification because Republicans keep calling this an environmental bill [because] we’re electrifying and we’re dealing with climate change. And I tried to convince them that, no, this is a good business decision. [General Motors] is going to be all-electric.”
On trucking policy, “There’s a lingering issue with truck leasing. I held hearings on this years ago. It’s incredibly abusive in the ports of [Los Angeles] and Long Beach. So, we’re going to have the secretary of transportation and the secretary of labor set up a truck-leasing task force to look into these practices and propose remedies.”
On transportation funding policies: “I don’t get to do that. I could’ve solved it under [former President Barack] Obama. I could’ve solved it if Trump ever wanted to do anything. And I could solve it here, but the ideas I have are not in sync with what the president [Joe Biden] has. So, I believe that we can work with user fees, indexation, bonding, etc. But, that’s off the table, so just forget about it. Right now, it’s up to the Ways and Means Committee.”
The Week Ahead (all times Eastern)
June 22, 2:30 p.m.: The Senate Communication, Media, and Broadband Subcommittee meets for a hearing titled, “Building Resilient Networks.”
June 23, 2 p.m.: The House Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee meets to review the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s budget.
June 24, 10 a.m.: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meets for a hearing titled, “The Role of Natural and Nature-Based Features in Water Resources Projects.”
June 24, 10 a.m.: The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee meets for a hearing on the nomination of Jennifer Homendy to be chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Freight Corridor
The Biden administration insists it’s all about building bridges, not walls.
Legislative Docket
Cantwell
Legislation that would dedicate $78 billion over five years for freight, trucking and rail safety programs was advanced by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee June 16. The panel approved the Surface Transportation Investment Act, sponsored by committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), by a vote of 25-3.
“[The Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021] makes a big down payment, $78 billion, on rebuilding and revamping our nation’s critical transportation infrastructure, a key to our economic future and creating more jobs,” Cantwell said. Democrats in Congress are promoting the bill as a pillar of Biden’s multitrillion-dollar infrastructure policy agenda. The measure advanced to the floor, where Senate leaders will look to include it in a larger multiyear highway policy package.
Buzz
The fiscal 2022 transportation funding bill is expected to be considered in committee by mid-July, per U.S. House managers.
Favorite Video
Celebrating the country’s newest federal holiday.
Favorite Tweet
A POTUS birthday.
Happy Birthday President Trump! pic.twitter.com/WNjf6FKlWJ — Rep. Sam Graves (@RepSamGraves) June 14, 2021
The Last Word
President Biden killed the Keystone XL Pipeline and with it, thousands of good-paying American jobs.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) on June 9
We publish weekly when Congress is in session. E-mail emulero@ttnews.com with tips. Follow us @eugenemulero and @transporttopics.
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