$88.7 Billion in Infrastructure Investment Approved by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure yesterday approved $88.7 billion in new investment to t he nation's aviation and clean water infrastructure. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009 will provide $70 billion to the Federal Aviation Administration and federal aviation infrastructure programs for the next four years. The Water Quality Investment Act of 2009 will give $18.7 billion for water and environmental infrastructure. The FAA bill provides $16.2 billion for the Airport Improvement Program, $13.4 billion for FAA Facilities & Equipment, and $1 billion for Research, Engineering, and Development. The funding will enable the FAA to modernize its air traffic control system and improve capacity at the nation's airports. In addition, the bill provides $39.3 billion for FAA operations. The Water Quality Investment Act authorizes $13.8 billion in Federal grants over five years to capitalize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and provide low-interest loans to communities for wastewater infrastructure. It also reauthorizes $250 million in grants over five years for alternative water source projects and authorizes $1.8 billion over five years in grants to municipalities and states to control sewer overflows. It amends the Clean Water Act to provide a national standard for public notification of overflows, and increases the authorization of appropriations to $150 million for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014. Finally, the bill increases the authorized funding levels for the cleanup of contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes, which was enacted into law in 2008 with funding levels below the House-passed version of the bill. The Committee also approved the Views and Estimates for Fiscal Year 2010, which helps guide the development of the year's budget resolution. It lays out the Committee's position on the budget proposed last week by the Obama Administration and calls for authorization of surface transportation programs, reauthorization of the FAA, selected provisions of the Clean Water Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, reauthorization of the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and consideration of a water resources development act. The Committee also noted that recent projections by the Congressional Budget Office show that the current levels of highway, transit and highway safety investment are unsustainable under current revenue projections. AGC is actively working to ensure the Highway Trust Fund remains solvent. Click here to view a comparison chart of state-by-state estimates for FY 2009 highway formula funding and FY 2010 estimated highway formula funding.