Senators Praise TIGER in Transportation Bill’s Report

Senate transportation funding leaders defended the need for the Department of Transportation’s popular infrastructure grant program and the way in which the department selects the grant winners, despite an effort by conservative lawmakers to significantly reduce the program’s funding allocation in recent years.

In a report released June 5 that expands on or clarifies the provisions of a fiscal 2015 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development spending bill, senators acknowledged they have long backed the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grants and they stressed states’ reliance on the funding boost.

Recent TIGER grant recipients use the funding to build or modernize large-scale projects.

The Senate Appropriations Committee reported the transportation bill to the floor June 5 with a $550 million allocation for the TIGER program. That falls short of the Obama administration’s $1.25 billion request but is greater than the House’s $100 million proposal.

The Senate bill could come up for floor debate the week of June 16. House Republican leaders scheduled debate on its legislative version June 9.

While key Republican lawmakers have questioned the fairness of the program’s selection process, Democratic senators have continued to support it. In the committee’s report, senators wrote the program has a “strong leadership team” committed to a fair selection process. They also indicated they lengthened the amount of time TIGER funds are available for obligation.

The senators’ assertion comes weeks after the Government Accountability Office determined that DOT officials “did not document key decisions made in evaluating grant applications and selecting projects” seeking TIGER assistance.

Winners of the next round of TIGER grants are expected to be announced in the fall. Since its inception in 2009, DOT has allocated more than $3 billion to assist several hundred projects. Obama administration officials claim the TIGER program has promoted livability and improved freight connectivity.

Highway Trust Fund

Also in the committee’s report, senators warned against approving short-term extensions to keep a depleted federal highway account solvent. The Highway Trust Fund that helps states pay for critical infrastructure programs is projected to run out of money as early as next month, and thus far congressional leaders have not unveiled a legislative proposal to shore up the account for years to come. With a few weeks left before lawmakers leave for the August congressional recess, much of the transportation community expects Congress to ultimately approve a short-term boost.

In the report, senators wrote: “What is clear is that the use of short-term extensions has only served to exacerbate the insecurity felt by state and local governments that rely on federal transportation programs for investing in their communities.”

The full report can be viewed by clicking here.