Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), leaders of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today announced that the committee is planning for a mark-up in June of a bipartisan, six-year surface transportation reauthorization bill:
"We are quickly approaching a critical deadline for federal investment in our nation's roads and bridges. Without Congressional action by May 31, vital projects across the nation will come to a grinding halt. This is unacceptable, and we owe it to our nation's economy to send a strong signal that Congress is going to maintain the backbone of America's commerce and national security. While Congress continues to debate the funding mechanisms, we believe it is in the best interest that this committee moves forward with consideration of a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill. This is why we are announcing that the EPW committee intends to mark up a six-year, bipartisan reauthorization bill in June. We can no longer wait on Congress. We look forward to finalizing negotiations with the big four, to include Sens. David Vitter and Tom Carper, and working with our members on a consensus bill in the tradition of this committee in the next few weeks."
"We are quickly approaching a critical deadline for federal investment in our nation's roads and bridges. Without Congressional action by May 31, vital projects across the nation will come to a grinding halt. This is unacceptable, and we owe it to our nation's economy to send a strong signal that Congress is going to maintain the backbone of America's commerce and national security. While Congress continues to debate the funding mechanisms, we believe it is in the best interest that this committee moves forward with consideration of a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill. This is why we are announcing that the EPW committee intends to mark up a six-year, bipartisan reauthorization bill in June. We can no longer wait on Congress. We look forward to finalizing negotiations with the big four, to include Sens. David Vitter and Tom Carper, and working with our members on a consensus bill in the tradition of this committee in the next few weeks."
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