Obama Administration Sends Transportation Bill to Congress
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iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx revealed a long-term transportation bill Tuesday to be sent to Congress.
The GROW AMERICA Act, part of the Obama administration’s vision for a four-year surface transportation reauthorization bill, addresses the reconstruction of crumbling roads and bridges as well as the creation of jobs.
The plan looks to invest in the nation’s infrastructure network and increase safety without adding to America’s deficit. The proposal comes in at $302 billion and seeks to provide an additional $87 billion for projects such as aging transit systems.
“I visited eight states and 13 cities as part of my Invest in America, Commit to the Future bus tour this month and everywhere I went, I heard the same thing — people want more transportation options and better roads and bridges to get them where they need to go,” Foxx said in a statement. “Failing to act before the Highway Trust Fund runs out is unacceptable — and unaffordable. This proposal offers the kind of job creation and certainty that the American people want and deserve.”
The Highway Trust Fund provides most of the federal support for state transportation projects and is estimated to encounter a shortfall before the end of the fiscal year, according to the Department of Transportation.
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