District 4, says the federal highway bill recently passed by Congress provides reliability in funding, eliminating the worry and stress for the state and contractors as they plan for the future of the Hoosier State’s roads. It also renews the Export-Import Bank through September 2019, sets traffic safety priorities, provides funding for regional buses and ferries, and sets up a fund guarantee program for large freight projects. The bill now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature.
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Organizations including the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Retail Federation, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and the National Governors Association hailed passage of the FAST Act, the first multi-year surface transportation bill to become law since 2005.
Rokita says the federal highway bill also includes safety measures developed in IN, such as putting a physical barrier between trucks and cars on some of the state’s busiest sections of interstate highways.
When there were nothing but short term bills from Congress, it was tough to plan for transportation infrastructure improvements. It would also increase the state’s highway funding by almost 5% in the 1st year. Democrat Claire McCaskill of Missouri, and Republicans Roy Blunt of Missouri and John Boozman voted for it. Republican Tom Cotton voted no. In the House, Billy Long, Vicky Hartzler and Jason Smith of Missouri, and Steve Womack of Arkansas voted for it.
In addition to the boost in funding, the Newberg-Dundee bypass and the OR portion of Interstate 205 were designated high-priority corridors, which makes it much more likely that they’ll get federal funds in the future.
The need for a responsible, long-term vision for our nation’s roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure isn’t a partisan issue. But raising the gas tax is viewed by many lawmakers as too politically risky.
Carper, in his statement, said, “To be clear, pick-pocketing revenues from unrelated programs for years to come in order to pay for today’s potholes and failing bridges is as cowardly as it is illogical”. The offsets in the agreement that was announced on Tuesday include changes to custom fees and passport rules for applicants who have delinquent taxes. Saying he was unhappy with some of the ways the government will raise the money to pay for the package, Womack added: “I am nevertheless encouraged that the House and Senate were able to work together to bring this five-year, fully-funded surface transportation reauthorization to fruition and put it on the President’s desk”.
“Obviously we got projects up there that we wanted and I-11 is one of them, but I do believe one of the critical responsibilities of the federal government is to provide infrastructure for their states”, he said.
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The FAST Act includes multiple provisions critically important to agriculture such as regulatory relief measures, policies that improve the movement of freight, and a provision that restores crop insurance funding.
