Apparently, we West Virginians are not alone in our displeasure with the conditions of our highways and bridges. People in quite a few other states have similar concerns, to judge by a U.S. Senate committee vote this week.
On Monday, members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted 21-0 to advance a $287 billion bill for highway and bridge projects throughout the nation. The panel includes 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
Give some credit for the win to U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia. Capito was among the senators who introduced the bill. Her reputation for bipartisanship no doubt helped gain the unanimous consent of the committee.
As we have noted previously, Capito’s fingerprints can be found on other legislation important to the Mountain State. One example is legislation emphasizing repair and reconstruction of bridges.
Hopefully, the full Senate, then the House of Representatives will approve the $287 billion package quickly. Heaven knows, we in West Virginia need all the road and bridge repair help we can get, and quickly.
