Introduction of the Farm-To-Market Road Repair Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Farm-to- Market Road Repair Act of 2021, legislation that will expand eligibility for the Surface Transportation Block Grant program to include rural roads that serve to transport agriculture products from farms or ranches to the marketplace.

American agricultural communities play a pivotal role in the economy within my district and across America. These farms and ranches provide the communities they serve with fresh products daily, ensuring consumers have an adequate and healthy food supply. Unfortunately, many of the roads are deteriorating.

Over 70 percent of our nation's total road mileage is in rural areas, yet, between 2009-2015, these roads have only seen about 37 percent of federal highway fund. As Congress debates how to move forward with a bold plan to address infrastructure, we need to ensure road-repair projects like these do not fall by the wayside as we seek to address other larger infrastructure projects. Just because a road is in a rural area does not mean the road is small or otherwise unimportant. To the contrary, I am aware of several rural road projects in my district and the surrounding region that are major connectors that would benefit from this type of funding opportunity.

Madam Speaker, my bill expands the current surface block grant program to include these roads--roads that serve as a lifeline to the people that depend on them. We must invest in our rural infrastructure now, before it is in complete disrepair. This legislation was included in H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, when it passed in the House of Representatives in the 116th Congress, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure it passes again. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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