U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) said the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s budget reconciliation proposal will combine investments to support President Donald Trump’s border security agenda while improving the nation’s air traffic control system and cutting wasteful spending.
Graves, the chair of the committee, said the proposal will result in a net debt reduction of more than $10 billion.
Included in the proposal are investments to bolster U.S. Coast Guard efforts to stop the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into the country, and to replace the nation’s air traffic control technology. Graves said the investments will be offset by eliminating funding for Green New Deal style programs, requiring electric vehicles (EVs) to begin paying for use of the highway system, and other deficit reduction efforts.
“With this proposal, the Committee is doing its part to ensure that Republicans fulfill our promise to the American people and the promise of the President’s America First agenda,” Graves said. “This proposal directly supports the President’s border security agenda by providing historic funding to the United States Coast Guard in the Service’s mission to keep illegal drugs and migrants out of our country. This measure also protects our national security by projecting American sovereignty in the Arctic, where China and Russia are aggressively increasing their activities.’
Graves’ proposal has a growing number of supporters. Graves’ office said more than 130 stakeholder organizations have written letters or written statements in support of the proposal. Many have expressed support of assessing a registration fee on EVs and hybrids to ensure the vehicles pay their fair share into the Highway Trust Fund for highway and road maintenance and improvement. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent in a letter supporting the proposed EV and hybrid fee saying, “Your committee’s consideration of new user fees – including an ‘electric vehicle (EV) fee’ on EVs and hybrids, and a ‘universal fee’ on all passenger vehicles – helps provide options for long-term solvency of the HTF, and importantly greater certainty on our ability to fund our Nation’s transportation infrastructure. Following the reconciliation process, this debate must continue as part of the surface transportation and infrastructure reauthorization.”
Additionally, the Modern Skies Coalition of more than 50 aviation and labor stakeholders wrote in support of the investment in traffic control modernization, saying, “The Modern Skies Coalition strongly endorses the Air Traffic Control modernization proposal from the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to fund critical investments in the air traffic control system’s technology, infrastructure and workforce, ensuring the United States remains the gold standard of aviation safety.”
The bill was scheduled for markup on Wednesday, April 30.