In a letter to Congress, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials reiterated its call for $37 billion in emergency funds for state departments of transportation across the country.
The Oct. 5 letter to Congressional leaders said the funding was needed to prevent job losses and cancellation or transportation project delays. The funds would help jump-start the economy, the letter said, and help the country begin to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This crucial federal backstop will prevent cancellations and delays of vital transportation projects as well as potential job losses both in the state DOT workforce and the private sector,” Jim Tymon, executive director of AASHTO, said in the letter. “And just as important, this federal funding can also jump-start much needed economic activity as the United States continues to recover from the effects of the [COVID-19] pandemic.”
State DOTs have seen their revenues fall since March, the beginning of the pandemic, due to declines in travel during stay-at-home orders and other measures taken to combat the pandemic. According to the letter, user fees like motor fuel taxes are outside of states’ general funds and make up the foundation of transportation investments in states. Without that revenue, state DOTs can’t carry out their functions like maintaining infrastructure in a state of good repair and meeting payroll.
“Despite the enduring uncertainty and ever-evolving nature of this pandemic, the nation’s state DOTs are working tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of their residents, employees, and the traveling public. But their valiant efforts alone will not be enough without this critical component of COVID-19 federal funding assistance,” the letter said. “AASHTO members are profoundly grateful to Congress for providing a one-year extension of the FAST Act. However, without the requested $37 billion in additional federal funding assistance, the important surface transportation program stability provided by this extension will be jeopardized.”
While Congress passed a continuing resolution in September that avoided a government shutdown and allowed the federal government to continue to pay the bills through December, no movement has yet been made on a second stimulus package, which would include the funding AASHTO is asking for.
Although the House passed a second stimulus package in May, the Senate has yet to act on it. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin have continued to negotiate a second stimulus package, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Senate will not meet until Oct. 19 because of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases amongst congresspersons.