Rep. Duckworth: Congress Must ‘Develop a Truly Sustainable and Long-Term’ Funding Fix for Transportation
WASHINGTON — Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said her congressional colleagues should use the next five years to come up with a long-term funding fix for transportation projects.
A recently signed five-year, $305 billion highway law, known as the FAST Act, funds federal highway projects by relying on intricate budget transfers unrelated to transportation.
“It is my hope that over the next five years, Congress can work in a bipartisan fashion to develop a truly sustainable and long-term infrastructure solution for our nation,” Duckworth said during a Dec. 8 hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets. She is the subpanel’s ranking member.
“Congress should be working to dramatically increase the amount we invest in American infrastructure,” she added.
The FAST Act’s authors acknowledged that it is unclear what funds would be used to back highway programs after the law expires. A few members of Congress and many transportation groups continue to suggest raising fuel taxes to provide long-term solvency for the Highway Trust Fund — the account used to help states pay for infrastructure projects.
The House subcommittee met to examine programs in the 2012 highway law MAP-21 that sought to reform highway tolling projects, as well as develop freight policy for the country.
