House Democrats release nearly $500 billion infrastructure bill

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As the clock winds down on the current surface transportation authorization, Democrats on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have unveiled a nearly $500 billion package designed to fix a backlog of infrastructure issues, create jobs, and prop up public transit.

The Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act was released June 3 by U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and other committee leaders. The legislation would authorize $494 billion over the next five years to tackle the country’s backlog of roads, bridges and transit system needs.

“The INVEST in America Act is our opportunity to replace the outdated systems of the past with smarter, safer, more resilient infrastructure that fits the economy of the future, creates millions of jobs, supports American manufacturing, and restores U.S. competitiveness,” DeFazio said.

The legislative package would build infrastructure that will withstand changes due to climate change and extreme weather; move toward a zero-emissions future for the transportation sector through prioritizing carbon pollution reduction; incorporate sharp increases in public transit and rail funding, including Amtrak; and build out fueling infrastructure for low- and zero-emissions vehicles.

The legislation calls for investments totaling $319 billion for highway investments, $105 billion for transit, $60 billion for rail investments, and $10 billion for vehicle safety investments.

“We’re still running our economy on an inefficient, 1950s-era system that costs Americans increasingly more time and money while making the transportation sector the nation’s biggest source of carbon pollution,” DeFazio said in a statement.

The bill would also ensure states, cities, tribes, territories and transit agencies could administer programs, continue with projects and save jobs in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic slow-down that response measures created.

Transportation industry leaders were mixed in their responses to the proposed bill.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Executive Director Jim Tymon said he worried that the partisan legislation would never be able to make it through the legislative process.

“Reauthorizing the federal surface transportation programs before they expire this fall is a priority for state DOTs and this is the first step in that process in the House,” Tymon said. “We appreciate that Chairman DeFazio’s proposed legislation recognizes the challenging financial situation that state DOTs are in now due to the national COVID-19 response. That being said, it is disappointing that this legislation was not developed in a bipartisan manner.”

Paul Skoutelas, president and CEO of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), said now is the time to make an important investment in our national infrastructure and boost the economy.

“We strongly support the bill and its critical investments for surface transportation infrastructure, including $105 billion for public transportation and $60 billion for commuter rail, Amtrak, and other high-performance rail,” Skoutelas said in a statement. “This forward-thinking legislation will transform our nation’s infrastructure and put us on the path to build more equitable communities for all Americans, creating and connecting people to jobs, providing better mobility options for millions, and addressing the environmental and sustainability challenges facing our nation and the world.”

Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, said roads and bridges should not be a partisan issue, and that funding the bill should come from real money. The ATA has previously advocated for an increase in the fuel tax by 5 cents per year every year for the next four years to pay for infrastructure spending.

“This draft legislation contains significant investment in our country’s roads and bridges. And while we may not agree on every provision therein, this is a real and commendable step on the part of the committee to advance the process in the House and ultimately arrive at a negotiable solution with the Senate,” Spear said. “Roads and bridges are not Democrat or Republican. We all drive on them.”

Republican committee members said they weren’t involved in drafting the legislation.

“Today’s partisan bill lacks critical flexibility for the states, its outsized funding increases for urban areas will leave rural America even further behind, and numerous new green mandates and extreme progressive goals are woven throughout the fabric of new and existing core programs,” said U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Republican subcommittee leaders, in a joint statement.

Furthermore, the Republican leaders noted that transportation workers continue to struggle with a new complicated reality created by the COVID-19 pandemic and that a large shift in transportation programs would create considerable uncertainty.

The committee plans to consider the bill on June 17 during a markup session. Lawmakers are working against a deadline, with the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) expiring on Sept. 30.