Rep. Huffman: Highway Funding Too Important for Short-Term Thinking

May 20, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) released the following statement after House Republicans brought forward a two-month extension of the Highway Trust Fund last night. If the bill had not passed, authorization for the Highway Trust Fund would have expired. Huffman voted for the bill.

“For years, Congress has been kicking the can down the road, leaving our transportation sector lurching from crisis to crisis. Today’s reckless exercise is no different: instead of using the 10 months since the last short-term extension to permanently fix the Highway Trust Fund, we were presented this week with yet another short-term patch.

“In two months—during the height of the construction season—we will find ourselves at the edge of a cliff again. California relies on the Highway Trust Fund for 48% of its state transportation budget. We need to act now on a long-term funding plan for transportation so that the Fund doesn’t go bust, halting road construction and bridge repair projects throughout the state and the country.

“It’s time for new ideas and new ways to fund our transportation infrastructure and it’s about time that Congress acted with the future of our transportation infrastructure in mind.”

Congressman Huffman, a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, has introduced the Gas Tax Replacement Act, to establish a lifecycle carbon tax on all transportation fuels, finally stabilize the Highway Trust Fund. Further, and spur advancements in clean energy technology that reduce carbon pollution and fight climate change.

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