CHARLESTON — Calling it the “anchor” for ongoing infrastructure talks with the White House, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito threw her support behind a transportation improvement package Wednesday.
The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 on Wednesday morning after the committee marked up the bill.
“I have always been optimistic that we would get here,” said Capito, R-W.Va. “But I am thrilled that we reached a bipartisan agreement that will address our nation’s surface transportation needs.”
The bill passed the committee five days after EPW Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., and ranking Republican committee member Capito announced the release of the bill last Saturday. The bill also is the work of Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., the chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Transportation Infrastructure, and Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., the subcommittee’s ranking Republican member.
The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act marks a 34% increase in funding from the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, setting funding levels at $303.5 billion for various highways, roads, and bridge projects managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Until the reauthorization bill is passed by Congress, the authorization for these programs will expire Sept. 30.
Most of the funding through the new act will be distributed to all 50 states through a funding formula, allowing greater flexibility by states to use the money based on their needs. More than $2 billion is being set aside for the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, which can be used for projects in the Appalachian Development Highway System and finishing Corridor H.
Another feature of the bill includes provisions of a program called One Federal Decision, a program meant to streamline environmental review processes while providing more accountability.
“There is a lot in this bill for both sides, and for all communities no matter their size or region in the country,” Capito said. “It represents the true give and take of bipartisan compromise. Most importantly, it will drive economic growth now and in the future, create jobs, while also improving the quality of life for those in our country.”
The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act is the second infrastructure bill to unanimously pass out of EPW. Last month, the committee passed the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021, which provides $35 billion in funding for drinking water and wastewater development projects. The funding will allow upgrades to the aging water pipeline and wastewater infrastructure. The bill passed the full Senate 89-2.
Both bills are seen as the first two precursors to the American Jobs Plan, the $2.3 trillion infrastructure package crafted by President Joe Biden. The American Jobs Plan includes traditional infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, public transportation, rail, ports and waterways, airports, water and wastewater and broadband, but also funding for “human infrastructure” including billions for home health care.
Capito and Senate Republicans have been negotiating with Biden and White House officials. The Republican Roadmap infrastructure plan would cost $568 billion and exclusively focus on traditional infrastructure. Republicans have expressed some willingness to budge on their price tag, but insist the plan be paid for without rolling back former president Donald Trump’s corporate tax cuts. The White House came down from $2.3 trillion to $1.7 trillion, a price still too high for Senate Republicans.
Biden set a deadline of Memorial Day to come up with an agreement, though its possible discussions will continue past this weekend. Republicans are supposed to present a counteroffer later today. But during the committee meeting, Capito said the bipartisan work by both parties on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act was a positive sign.
“There’s been a lot of talk about a larger bipartisan agreement in conversation with the White House,” Capito said. “This bill is really the anchor to those bipartisan discussions.”