Baucus, Grassley Applaud Highway Trust Fund Fix
Finance leaders fought for key infrastructure bill now on its way to president’s desk
Washington, DC – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today applauded final passage in the House of Representatives of the Highway Trust Fund bill H.R. 6532, as amended in the Senate. The bill, which now goes to the president for signature into law, will restore $8 billion to the Highway Trust Fund to finance maintenance of the nation’s roads and bridges – a move that will also create thousands of good-paying highway jobs for working Americans. Baucus successfully amended the legislation on Wednesday to move highway funds to states immediately, rather than waiting until the end of the month.
“Not only will this bill keep and create jobs, it will keep our roads and bridges safe and create a public infrastructure system that can compete with the rest of the developed world,” Baucus said. “Every American needs safe roads to drive on, and thousands need the good-paying highway jobs that this funding will help create in every state. I’m pleased to have helped the funds get on the ground even faster to start rebuilding America’s infrastructure and economy.”
“Today’s action will give states the certainty they need to continue to maintain and improve the highways and bridges Americans travel on every day,” Grassley said. “States rely on the partnership they have with the federal government when it comes to building and maintaining highways and bridges, and they need to know that the funding spelled out in the highway bill will be there. This shortfall could have caused construction disruptions to thousands of important improvement projects all across the country.”
Baucus and Grassley first proposed a highway fix as part of the Finance passed FAA bill in 2007 and have continued to work together to replenish the Trust Fund in the 110th Congress.
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