Mullin Named as Conferee on Long-term Highway Bill

Press Release

Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) on Tuesday was selected to join the conference committee charged with developing the final long-term highway bill.

"I fought for Oklahoma's transportation priorities while the House developed and finalized its version of the long-term highway bill," said Mullin. "Now, I have the opportunity to make sure these priorities are preserved in the final bill that gets signed into law."

The U.S. Senate passed its version of long-term highway legislation, the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vison for the Economy (DRIVE) Act, on July 15, 2015. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its separate long-term highway legislation, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform (STRR) Act of 2015, on November 5, 2015. The U.S. Constitution and congressional rules allow for a joint, House-Senate conference committee to be appointed to negotiate the differences between the two chambers. Once the negotiated bill is approved by the conference committee it will be sent to both chambers of Congress for final approval before it is sent to the president.

Mullin, a second-term lawmaker on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during his first term representing Oklahoma's Second Congressional District in Congress. Mullin joins U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, on the conference committee.

"I am honored to represent the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on this conference committee," Mullin added. "The transportation and energy sectors contribute significantly to Oklahoma's economy, and I am looking forward to bringing my knowledge on these two issues to the table. From ports and airports to highways and bridges, our state has a big interest in the final version of this bill."

Gary Ridley, the Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation, praised Mullin's selection to the conference committee.

"Oklahoma is very fortunate that Congressman Mullin has been named a conferee on the highway bill, which is extremely important to the state and the nation. He will represent Oklahoma well. His previous experience gives him a wealth of knowledge and shows he is committed to transportation," Ridley said. "With Senator Inhofe's leadership as co-chairman of the conference committee and Mullin's expertise, Oklahoma and the nation will be well served by their common sense approach to transportation policy as they work to pass a long-term reauthorization."

Mullin's provision to permanently fix conflicting state and federal regulations on the accepted size of highway signs for churches and civic groups is included in both the House and Senate long-term highway bills. He has two additional provisions that support U.S. auto manufacturers that have been included in the House version of the bill. An amendment Mullin offered to allow construction on bridges despite the presence of non-endangered, migratory birds was rejected in the House but is included in the Senate version of the bill.

Source