Letter to Hon. Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation - Tillis Pushes for Proper Implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

Letter

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and a group of his Senate colleagues recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg regarding the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) December 16, 2021 memorandum, Policy on Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Resources to Build a Better America. In the letter, the senators request that Secretary Buttigieg direct FHWA to rescind or substantially revise the memorandum to ensure the agency intends proper implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) as enacted.

"If implemented faithfully to the legislative text, the IIJA will upgrade and expand the surface transportation system in a manner that benefits all communities and the Nation. The provisions of the IIJA were carefully negotiated and reflect the input of both parties, the Biden Administration, and the broader stakeholder community. We urge recognition of the legislative process used to develop the IIJA and adherence to congressional intent as FHWA moves forward with implementing this historic legislation," the senators wrote.

The letter builds on the efforts by Senator Tillis to ensure that the IIJA is implemented in a manner that adheres to congressional intent. One of those efforts includes encouraging the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson to follow Congressional intent in implementing the $65 billion included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for broadband expansion efforts across the United States.