Engineering Inc. - September/October 2019 - 8

Key Senate Committee
Advances 5-Year Transportation
Reauthorization Bill

PETE MAROVICH / GETTY IMAGES

MARK REINSTEIN / GETTY IMAGES

he Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works unanimously
approved a five-year bill to increase
federal highway program funding by
a total of 27 percent above the FAST
Act. The $287 billion legislation-
America's Transportation Infrastructure Act-was
approved 21-0.
More than 90 percent of the spending under
the bill-$259 billion-would be distributed to
states via funding formulas largely carried over
from current law. The funding increases would be
front-loaded, with a 17 percent jump in the first
year and 2 percent annual growth in FY 2022-25.
ACEC expressed immediate and strong support for
the bill.
"America's Transportation
Infrastructure Act provides
critical resources necessary
to upgrade our roads and
bridges to address years of
John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
deferred maintenance and
modernize our transportation networks," wrote
Council President/CEO
Linda Bauer Darr in a letter
to Committee Chairman
John Barrasso, R-Wyo.,
and ranking member Tom
Tom Carper, D-Del.
Carper, D-Del., before the
vote. "The programs in the bill will equip our
public sector partners to accommodate growth in
population and freight movement, incorporate
new technologies, improve safety, and enhance
resilience and sustainability."
8

ENGINEERING INC.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2019

The legislation expands funding and eligibility for existing programs, including highway and
freight projects, and creates new grant programs
for bridge rehabilitation and replacement, safety
improvements, and resilient infrastructure. Nearly
$5 billion is authorized over five years to help
states improve the resiliency of roads and bridges
from natural disasters, extreme weather events,
and sea level rise. Additional funds are available
for carbon emission reduction incentives and
alternative fuel infrastructure such as hydrogen,
natural gas, and electric vehicle charging stations.
The bill also aims to facilitate more efficient
project delivery by codifying core elements of
the "One Federal Decision" policy. It establishes
a two-year goal for completion of environmental
reviews, a 90-day timeline for related project
authorizations, and a single environmental
document and record of decision to be signed
by all participating agencies. It also encourages
wider utilization of categorical exclusions and
the exercise of other flexibilities available under
current law.
Three other Senate committees need to act
on their portions of a surface transportation bill
before it goes to the full Senate for a vote: The
Commerce Committee (safety, rail and commercial vehicle programs), the Banking Committee
(transit), and the Finance Committee (revenue).
Based on current projections, approximately
$110 billion in additional revenues would be
needed to maintain the solvency of the Highway
Trust Fund. Barrasso and Carper both expressed
confidence in persuading their colleagues to support additional user fees necessary for the funding
increases in the bill.

ACEC Working
Toward Fall
Passage of
USMCA
As lawmakers returned from
the August recess, a major
budget and debt ceiling
impasse appear to be in the
rearview mirror, leaving few
remaining must-pass items on
the agenda.
The United States-MexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA),
the trilateral agreement
with Canada and Mexico, is
expected to be transmitted
to Congress in September,
to pass in an up or down
vote. Members of Speaker
Nancy Pelosi's working group
met four times with United
States Trade Representative
Robert Lighthizer, issuing a
set of principles that need
attention before passage
of the measure: access to
affordable medicine, labor
and environmental reforms,

MARK REINSTEIN / GETTY IMAGES

DAN REYNOLDS PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES

LEGISLATIVEACTION

and enforcement of the trade
agreement.
Canada and Mexico are also
moving toward ratification,
with Mexico ratifying the
deal in June while working
toward reforming its labor
and environmental laws. The
Canadian Parliament began its
process in May with the hope
of passage by summer's end.
ACEC has been visiting
with House and Senate
offices and working with the
business community urging
its passage and will ramp up
its effort as Congress returns
in September.

Engineering Inc. - September/October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - September/October 2019