U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced the release of a bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill.
Carper, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and Capito, the committee’s ranking member, said the bill would come before their committee on May 26 for review.
“I’m proud to join with my colleagues in crafting a bipartisan bill that invests in our nation’s transportation infrastructure at a historic high level, and in doing so, helps create jobs, curbs our carbon emissions, and expands opportunities for the American people,” Carper said. “We must reauthorize the surface transportation bill before its current authorization expires in September: it is a vital foundation for President Biden’s American Jobs Plan.”
The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 would allocate $303.5 billion for the Department of Transportation’s programs for highways, roads, and bridges. The funding level is a more than 34 percent increase from Congress’ last reauthorization in 2015. That authorization expired in 2020. Congress passed a one-year extension that expires on Sept. 30, 2021.
“Safe and reliable infrastructure is something every American can get behind,” Capito said. “From the beginning of this process, I have expressed my desire to work together across the aisle to develop a bipartisan solution to address our nation’s infrastructure challenges. Our bill unveiled tonight accomplishes this. Not only will this comprehensive, bipartisan legislation help us rebuild and repair America’s surface transportation system, but it will also help us build new transportation infrastructure. These critical investments will help to provide economic opportunities now and for future generations.”