Ranking Members Larsen, Norton Statements from Hearing on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation

Floor Speech

"Thank you, Chairman Crawford and Ranking Member Norton, for holding this hearing.

Welcome to our Department of Transportation (USDOT) witnesses and thank you for participating today so the Subcommittee can learn more about your work to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

Today’s hearing is another opportunity to highlight how federal infrastructure dollars are benefiting communities and building a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation system.

Congress provided $530 billion in the BIL for roads, bridges, transit, buses, ferries, and other infrastructure needs under the Highways and Transit Subcommittee’s jurisdiction.

The investment level and number of new initiatives in the BIL far exceeds previous transportation bills. Congress handed USDOT a tall order in implementing this legislation.

In the first two fiscal years of the BIL, the Department distributed over $180 billion in highway funds and $40 billion in transit funds to states and localities. Funding has gone out under more than three dozen competitive grant programs, and more is on the way.

Just this morning, the Department announced awards for the Safe Streets For All program totaling $817 million for 385 projects nationwide.

This includes three grants in my district totaling $1.4 million to help the City of Anacortes and Skagit County develop roadway safety action plans and the Lummi Indian Business Council to test nine safety demonstration projects.

Yesterday, the Department announced awards for 18 projects under the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program which totaled $645 million. This funding will help rural communities reconstruct road and freight infrastructure to make them safer and more accessible.

I highlight these award announcements because they clearly demonstrate how communities across the U.S. are seeing the benefits of the BIL.

They are also seeing benefits through the creation of jobs. These dollars translate into projects on the ground and jobs for American workers.

Through September 2023, BIL dollars have supported over 60,000 highway projects alone, according to analysis by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.

There is at least one new project underway in every Congressional district in the country.

Thanks to BIL, USDOT has awarded $25 million in RAISE grants to Whatcom County to replace the 60-year-old Lummi Island Ferry.

Projects like this one and other projects across the country mean jobs—jobs with good wage, benefits, and working conditions for transportation workers and manufacturers. The BIL means more jobs in the transportation construction, transit, trucking, aviation, rail and maritime sectors.

Without these investments, the economy would be in far worse shape.

We are only two years through a five-year bill. The Department has invested in projects across the country, and there is more to come.

Now, Congress has the job of conducting oversight of implementation efforts by USDOT, state DOTs, project sponsors, and industry to ensure these projects are delivered quickly and effectively and that the law is implemented in line with Congressional intent.

Congress directed investments in the BIL to address many things including climate change and reduce carbon pollution. We directed investments to improve safety and equity outcomes on our transportation networks. And we wanted to put more decision-making power into the hands of local communities, whose leaders know their infrastructure needs best.

These and other policy changes are now in the hands of USDOT to execute.

I applaud the Department’s efforts to date on this front and the steps taken to address the unacceptably high rate of deaths, to prioritize equity considerations in grants, to ensure Disadvantaged Business Enterprises reap the benefits of BIL funding, and to measure and reduce carbon pollution from transportation sources as provided for in transportation law dating back a decade.

I welcome this opportunity to once again acknowledge and celebrate the infrastructure benefits each of our districts and constituents are reaping.

This Committee continues delivering bipartisan solutions for all Americans.

I thank all of our witnesses for their service and for guiding your agencies and the priorities Congress has asked you to implement. I look forward to today’s discussion."

Source