T4America Blog

T4America statement in response to Senate adoption of stopgap to avoid Highway Trust Fund insolvency

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate today approved a House-passed measure to transfer $10.8 billion from the general fund to cover the looming shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund until next spring. The stopgap bill, which now heads to President Obama’s desk, comes one day before a deadline to avoid significant funding cuts during the height of construction season.

James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued this statement in response:

“We are relieved that thousands of communities, more than a half-million workers and their families, and millions of commuters will be spared the pain of drastic cuts in promised federal funding to build and repair our bridges, roads and transit systems.

That said, Congress is rapidly running out of last-minute budget gimmicks to patch holes in America’s key infrastructure fund, and must immediately begin the task of replacing pretend dollars with the real money necessary to continue to call ourselves a first-world nation. Perhaps the most important outcome of this go-round is that members of both parties, in both chambers, have voiced a growing discomfort with hastily crafted, short-term fixes along with a desire to find a long-term funding solution.

In truth, they have bought themselves only a few short months to grapple with an issue they have delayed for years.  We look forward to working with leaders in both houses as they make good on their promise to work in earnest on a long-term solution to fund the infrastructure our economy and daily lives depend on.”