Strong Senate Support for Highway and Transit Bill Shows How Measure Should Pass Through Congress with Bipartisan Backing

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in response to the passage of a surface transportation measure today by the members of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee: "The fact that a new highway and transit bill proposed by Senators Vitter and Boxer received the bipartisan backing of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee shows members of both parties understand the value of investing in our aging surface transportation systems. This bill will make it significantly easier for state and local transportation officials to plan for and fund projects to rebuild bridges, repair roads and improve transit options. More important, it continues the work started in the prior transportation law of streamlining the federal review process so new projects can be reviewed and approved within a more reasonable time frame. "Senators and representatives from both parties should follow the Committee's lead and swiftly pass this vital economic measure before the current legislation expires at the end of September. They also must act now to keep the federal Highway Trust Fund solvent for years to come. As our national highway system ages and many roads and bridges exceed their life span, members of Congress need to figure out how we are going to cover the growing costs of maintaining and expanding these critical public assets. If we don't, too many businesses and commuters will be forced to bear the cost of more traffic delays, crashes and vehicle repairs as billions of dollars worth of construction projects come to a halt this summer. Read the full release here.