The House passed a short-term Highway Trust Fund bill today with support from Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, that would keep payments flowing to states for roads, bridges, highways and transit through May 2015. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The fund is the primary source of federal funding for roads, bridges, highways and transit. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced it will begin slowing payments from the fund to states as of August 1 if Congress does not act.

“This short-term injection of money to the Highway Trust Fund is good news for summer road construction season. It also means that the safety projects in Marysville and ferryboat maintenance in Northwest Washington will continue as planned. The fund provides critical investments in our roads, bridges, highways and transit that create jobs and keep our economy moving.

“But using the MacGyver approach to patch the Highway Trust Fund with duct tape and some scrap metal is no way to support the number one job-creating industry in our country. Businesses need to be able to trust in reliable access to markets for more than eight months at a time, and citizens need long-term assurance of their safety during daily travel.

“I voted for this patch because our economy depends on ongoing investments in strong infrastructure. But funding roads and bridges with a patchwork approach is only allowable if the time Congress has created for itself leads to a real, long-term solution. As a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am committed to working with my colleagues to find a way to put the fund on sustainable footing. Congress needs to get to work on a long-term, sustainable solution for the Highway Trust Fund,” Larsen said.

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