TCC applauds bipartisan congressional letter supporting long-term transportation bill, Highway Trust Fund

Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) leadership called a recent bipartisan letter from nearly 300 House of Representatives members calling for action on funding transportation improvements a “broad consensus” that a long-term highway and transit bill is a “top priority” and that there is “overwhelming bipartisan support for legislative action.”

The letter, sent Feb. 11 to House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, was written by Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), and Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.), and signed by 285 members of Congress.

“We are united in out conviction that now is the time to end the cycle of short-term extensions that kick the can down the road by doing the work needed to pass a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill,” the letter states. “To make this happen, we support efforts to develop a long-term sustainable revenue source for our nation’s transportation network as soon as possible.”

The letter can be read in its entirety here.

Steve Sandherr, TCC co-chair and chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), and Pet Ruane, TCC co-chair and president of the American Road Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) lauded the letter.

“At a time when Congress can’t seem to agree on much, the fact so many members of Congress back passage of a highway and transit bill shows how important this measure is for Democrats and Republicans alike,” Sandherr said in a statement.

“Over the coming weeks, we will work aggressively to urge the Congressional leadership to push for swift action, and passage of a new, fully-funded, long-term surface transportation bill.”