According to an article from TheHill.com, the House Ways and Means Committee proposed a $10.5 billion, eight-month transportation funding bill which calls for a temporary extension of current transportation funding levels until May 31, 2015.
This proposed measure would reauthorize the collection of the gas tax for eight months and transfer $10.5 billion from the federal budget to close the Highway Trust Fund shortfall.
The American Transportation & Builders Association's (ARTBA) President & CEO Pete Ruane reacted by reminding Congress that their job is far from over.
“While we appreciate the efforts of the House Ways & Means and Senate Finance Committees to move forward this week on their respective plans to keep federal transportation funds flowing to the states, these actions must not be the latest ‘punt and leave the stadium’ strategy that has plagued the federal surface transportation program for far too long," says Ruane.
“The Highway Trust Fund has been limping from crisis to crisis for the past six years as America’s transportation network continues to decline," he continues. "Therefore, our message to Congress is simple: your job isn’t close to being done.
“It’s incumbent upon lawmakers in the House and Senate, and officials from the Obama Administration before the end of 2014 to develop a long-term and sustainable Highway Trust Fund solution that supports future transportation capital investments," Ruane says. "Anything less ignores the fragile state of our nation’s economy and does a great disservice to the tens of millions of American motorists, businesses and workers who rely on the transportation network every day to support their livelihoods.”
(more on the House's proposal to fund the Highway Trust Fund...)
