A 5-year, $305-billion bill to deal with the country's aging and congested transportation systems was signed into law Friday by President Barack Obama, who said it will put Americans to work and provide states with the federal help they need to commit to long-term projects.
The U.S. House and Senate have reached agreement on a 5-year, $281 billion transportation bill that would increase spending to address the nation's aging and congested highways and transit systems — a legislative feat that lawmakers and President Barack Obama have struggled throughout his administration to achieve.
The House voted Thursday to continue transportation programs for six years with no significant increase in spending, despite warnings from the White House and statehouses across the country that the nation's roads, bridges and transit systems are falling apart.
Despite widespread calls to fix crumbling highways, bridges and rail systems, a House bill introduced Friday maintains spending at current levels — suggesting Congress is unlikely to soon tackle a growing transportation maintenance and modernization backlog.
Seventy percent of the state's roads are rated mediocre to poor by the U.S. Department of Transportation. How do we rate nationally? Only two states — Illinois and Connecticut — rank lower.
A coalition of construction trade groups took to the airwaves Tuesday to call on Congress to pass a long-term plan for financing highways and related transportation projects.
The U.S. Senate has passed a long-term transportation bill, but with House lawmakers already dispersed for their August recess, the bill will become just one more sticky issue on a jam-packed congressional agenda in the fall.
The House voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to shore up federal highway aid before heading out of town for its August recess, leaving unresolved an array of sticky issues that are sure to complicate an autumn agenda already groaning under the weight of indecision.
Congress has a chance this week to provide a strong boost for America's badly deteriorating infrastructure, but only if a promising solution worked out in the U.S. Senate prevails over a short-sighted fix passed by the House earlier this summer.