Transportation Bill Misses an Opportunity

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s leaders recently unveiled a Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill, the primary legislation Congress uses to set national transportation policy and fund the nation’s transportation systems.

“We urgently need more investment in a transportation system that helps American society run,” said Joanna Slaney, Vice President for Political and Government Affairs at Environmental Defense Fund. “But this proposal misses the opportunity to deliver the affordable and clean future people want and need. The bill slashes funding for electric-vehicle charging stations while making it more expensive to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles, including through a new annual fee for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. It will cut funding for zero-emissions trucks designed to bring cleaner air to the port communities where they operate. And while we appreciate the bipartisan support for resilient transportation grants, the overall reduced funding will make it harder for communities to prepare roads and bridges for more frequent and intense storms. We urge the committee to make the necessary investments in a cleaner and more resilient transportation system.”