February 16, 2021

Chair DeFazio Applauds Biden Administration for Rescinding Artificial Financing Barrier to Major Infrastructure Projects

WASHINGTON, DCToday, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement after the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) rescinded guidance the Trump administration put in place in June 2018 regarding Capital Investment Grant (CIG) projects. Chair DeFazio had urged the Biden administration to review the Trump-era guidance that meant Federal loans were counted as part of the entire Federal share of CIG projects, even though local entities repay the loans with interest.

“The Trump administration’s guidance that put up artificial barriers to critical transit projects is exactly where it should be—in the trash bin. I applaud the Biden administration and DOT leaders for heeding my call to take swift action to repeal the rubbish guidance and instead restore the idea that the Federal government should be a partner—not an adversary—to communities that are marshalling their own resources to try and break ground on badly-needed infrastructure projects that move this country forward.”

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