Inhofe, Boxer Statement on House Passage of Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), ranking member of the Senate EPW Committee, today released a statement following the House passage of H.R. 3819, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act (STRR Act), a bipartisan, multi-year surface transportation bill to reauthorize and reform federal highway, transit, and highway safety programs:

“Today the House of Representatives gave strong bipartisan support for a long-term surface transportation bill, which enables us to move forward to conference so we can work out our differences and get this legislation to the President’s desk by Thanksgiving.  Businesses, labor, states, and local communities are depending on us to pass a consensus-based, bipartisan bill which provides funding certainty that will enable them to modernize our nation’s highways, bridges, and transit systems. We are also pleased that this bill provides the opportunity for increased investment in our aging infrastructure.”

On Jul. 30, the Senate passed H.R. 22, the vehicle for the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) in a vote of 65 to 34.

On June 24, the Senate EPW Committee passed the DRIVE Act (S.1647) out of committee unanimously. On July 21, the DRIVE Act that incorporates the four committees of jurisdiction, including EPW, Commerce, Banking, Homeland Security/Government Affairs and Finance, was reported to the Senate floor. Text of the legislation can be found here.

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