Republicans’ Statement on Chair DeFazio’s Surface Transportation Bill

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO); Highways and Transit Subcommittee Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL); Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Ranking Member Rick Crawford (R-AR); and Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA) released the following joint statement in response to today’s release of Committee Chair DeFazio’s surface transportation reauthorization bill:

“The Majority’s new ‘My Way or the Highway Bill 2.0’ doubles down on the same mandates, restrictive policies, and costly diversions of infrastructure resources that led to last year’s failure to provide long-term investments in America’s roads and bridges.

“Instead of working with Republicans to find common ground on a bill that could earn strong bipartisan support – something our Senate counterparts did successfully last month – this bill moves even further to the left to appease the most progressive members in the Majority’s party.

“Despite a narrower margin of power and the President’s call for bipartisanship, the Majority never seriously considered incorporating Republican priorities and reaching a compromise. So we are left with another bill that lets lengthy road and bridge project delays continue eating up precious resources, handcuffs our state and local partners, leaves rural communities behind, and prioritizes the Green New Deal to an extent that cripples the real infrastructure improvements communities across the country need.”