Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)
WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives has taken up and approved a bill that impacts the life of just about every American on a daily basis.
The Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act (the STRR Act) – sometimes simply referred to as the Transportation bill – is intended to help improve the country’s vast system of roads, bridges, and public transportation systems.
According to Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23), the new proposal being considered by the House will ensure local roads and bridges are repaired and maintained through 2021.
Reed said the bill would create a spending plan for at least three years, and does not rely on increasing the gas tax in order to pay for highway projects.
“We’ve been able to identify a three year-bill minimum – possibly a six-year bill – fully paid for without increasing any gas taxes,” Reed told reporters on Monday during his weekly media conference call. “I’ve been opposed to raising gas taxes. Rather than raise taxes I think we should be more creative in Washington DC and come up with some alternatives and I’m proud to report that we have done that.”
Despite Reed’s support of the legislation, some critics of the plan say that it relies on gimmicks to bring in the funding necessary. They would instead prefer to see an increase of the gas tax in order to ensure a stable source of funding for the full life of the bill.
The House’s base bill, which passed in a bipartisan vote of 363-64, authorizes nearly $340 billion for highway and transit program over six years. The original bill would have paid for just three years of funding, but an amendment adopted at the last minute Thursday could add an additional $40 billion, shoring up funding for the life of the bill.
New York has one bridge for every six miles of roadways in the state. 50 percent of these bridges are 75 years or older. Within Reed’s 23rd Congressional District – which includes Chautauqua County – there are almost 800 bridges that do not meet many new federal capacity and safety standards. Additionally, one-third of New York’s major highways are considered to be in poor or fair condition.
The Senate has already passed its version of the transportation package. The two chambers of Congress are expected to come together to work out the details of the bill sometime before the November 20 funding deadline.
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