Today, Democratic leadership in the US House of Representatives unveiled a $760 billion infrastructure package called “Moving America and the Environment Forward.” It is an outline of legislation the House plans to take up in the coming months, including surface transportation, broadband, drinking water, airports, and waterways.
Late last week, Congress passed a bill to continue funding the federal government agencies and programs until the end of December, giving them several more weeks to keep negotiating on spending levels. Also included in that bill, which President Trump signed into law, was language to cancel the pending transportation rescission. As we have discussed a few times in recent months, this $7.6 billion rescission would have likely taken more than one year’s funding away from the Transportation
Three months ago, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed its transportation reauthorization bill, the America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019, which included significant funding increases and policy improvements for biking and walking. Unfortunately, we have seen no further movement in the Senate yet, and the bill must still pass through three more Senate committees before it can be voted on.
It's the all-important end of the federal fiscal year, so we have a lot to report on for how states are handling their Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding. We always see a lot of activity in the last quarter of a fiscal year, but this year we saw more than usual because states are preparing for an impending rescission.
Today the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unveiled its transportation reauthorization legislation, in advance of Committee consideration tomorrow. The bill is bipartisan and being released by the four Committee leaders – Senators Barrasso (R-WY), Carper (D-DE), Capito (R-WV), and Cardin (D-MD). As you may recall from prior blogs, the current transportation law expires a little more than a year from now in September 2020.
We congratulate Representatives Julia Brownley (D-CA-26) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) for introducing the Safe and Friendly for the Environment (SAFE) Streets Act. H.R. 3040 would help make sure that federal safety funds are directed towards projects that make walking and rolling safer.
This week, Senators Cardin (D-MD) and Wicker (R-MS) introduced S. 1098, the Transportation Alternatives Enhancements Act. We applaud them for their leadership on this key funding program for Safe Routes to School, biking and walking projects and programs across the country.
