AASHTO Journal, 9 May 2014
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee leaders said Thursday that the committee plans to release the text of its MAP-21 reauthorization bill Monday, May 12, three days before the committee will hold a markup on the measure.
Last month, Senate EPW Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA), Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Chair Tom Carper (D-DE), and Subcommittee Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) announced an “agreement in principle” for a transportation bill, signaling major progress on a MAP-21 successor (see related AASHTO Journal story here). Though the text of the measure will not be available until next week, committee leaders announced agreement on:
- Passing a long-term measure, not a short-term fix;
- Keeping formulas for current core programs;
- Exhibiting fiscal responsibility by keeping with current funding levels (plus inflation);
- Focusing on policies that expand transportation opportunities for rural areas;
- Continuing efforts to leverage local resources in order to speed up transportation construction, create jobs, and support economic growth; and
- Requiring “better information sharing” regarding federal grants.
The Committee is scheduled to mark up the bill Thursday, May 15 at 10 a.m.
“This job-creating legislation provides the long-term funding certainty that states, cities, and businesses need while maintaining and improving the efficiency of the successful TIFIA program and establishing a formula-based freight program to improve the movement of goods on our surface transportation system,” Boxer said in that statement. “My deepest thanks to Senators Vitter, Carper, and Barrasso for working with me on this bipartisan bill.”
Additional information on the upcoming markup may be found on the Senate EPW Committee website.