The leaders of the House and Senate lead committees working to reach a bicameral, bipartisan agreement on surface transportation legislation released a joint statement today on the Conference Report for the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.
Statement of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), who is also chairman of the surface transportation bill Conference Committee; Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK), who is the Conference Committee’s vice chairman; House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR); and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Barbara Boxer (D-CA):
“This legislation is a vital investment in our country. A safe, efficient surface transportation network is fundamentally necessary to our quality of life and our economy, and this conference report provides long-term certainty for states and local governments, and good reforms and improvements to the programs that sustain our roads, bridges, transit, and passenger rail system. We knew that reaching an agreement on this measure would be challenging, but every member of the conference committee was certainly up to the task. We appreciate their hard work in this effort, and we look forward to moving this measure forward and getting it signed into law.”
The FAST Act is a five-year, fully paid-for surface transportation reauthorization of federal highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier safety, hazardous materials, and passenger rail programs. The bill reforms and strengthens transportation programs, refocuses on national priorities, provides long-term certainty and more flexibility for states and local governments, streamlines project approval processes, andmaintains a strong commitment to safety.
More information: Summary of the FAST Act | Text of the FAST Act Conference Report | Joint explanatory statement of the Conference Committee