February 05, 2019

Chairman DeFazio Responds to The State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C. -- Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement after the State of the Union address by President Donald Trump:

“Tonight, President Trump said that investing in our transportation infrastructure should be one area where Democrats and Republicans unite. I agree—our crumbling roads, bridges, transit and rail systems, airports, and harbors impact every community across our country.

“None of this can happen, however, if we continue to ignore the looming crisis facing the Highway Trust Fund. We face a $1 trillion surface transportation investment gap over the next 10 years to fix the infrastructure we have, meet future needs, and restore our global competitiveness. Any serious infrastructure proposal must provide sustainable, long-term Federal funding so we can make these necessary investments, create millions of living-wage American jobs, increase economic growth, and decrease congestion and emissions.

“I will work to build bipartisan agreement around legislation, but I can’t do it alone. This will require massive effort from the White House, stakeholders, and supporters in Congress to get something real across the finish line.”

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