Vitter Lauds Historic Passage of Long-Term Highway Bill
Press Release
U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee (EPW) on Transportation and Infrastructure, today issued the following statement upon the Senate's passage of a five-year highway bill, which now goes to the President's desk to be signed into law. Vitter joined 83 Senators in voting for the FAST Act Conference Report.
"Louisianians understand the many safety concerns and frustrations associated with our crumbling roads and bridges -- and the major traffic that goes along with it, and I'm glad to have fought successfully on a bipartisan basis for necessary long-term updates to our nation's transportation infrastructure," said Vitter. "As Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, I am certainly committed to seeing this historic five-year highway conference deal signed into law and implemented efficiently in the coming months and years."
Also included in the FAST Act was an extension of the Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund through 2021. Monies from the trust fund are used under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection & Restoration Act (CWPPRA) for coastal wetlands protection in Louisiana. The trust fund expired on May 31, 2015 and Senator Vitter fought hard to include an extension in the Senate-version of the highway reauthorization bill known as the DRIVE Act.
"CWPPRA is one of the many programmatic tools we need to help restore Louisiana's degrading coastline. Extending the trust fund was critically important and the program will compliment other on-going coastal restoration efforts as a result of the BP settlement. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues in both the House and Senate to accomplish this much-needed extension."
The first long-term fix since 2008, the five-year $305 billion measure provides funding for highways and mass-transit. Chairman Vitter was one of the leaders in developing the Senate version of the bipartisan highway reauthorization bill.
Chairman Vitter has continuously fought for reauthorization and reform of transportation funding legislation. Earlier this year, Vitter helped unanimously pass the broadly bipartisan Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) through the EPW Committee and the U.S. Senate.
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