Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member, recently sent a letter to governors vowing to ensure the proper implementation of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
The letter was in response to a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) memorandum issued in December. The lawmakers said they were disappointed by the memo and that it contains a wish list of policies not reflected in the IIJA.
The policies differ from the provisions negotiated and agreed to in the law, the letter said.
“The IIJA distributes 90 percent of the federal-aid highway funding to states via formula and largely retains the existing core formula program structure,” the letter said. “The law does not include provisions that restrict or discourage certain types of projects, including projects that add highway capacity. The IIJA allows for more efficient delivery of all surface transportation projects through various reforms to the environmental review and permitting processes, including the codification of One Federal Decision. The law addresses infrastructure issues in a manner that reflects bipartisan input and consensus and avoids burdensome prescriptive requirements.”
The FHWA memorandum should be treated as an internal document, the letter said, with no effect on the law.