Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today called on the U.S. Senate to keep federal transportation dollars flowing to states and local communities by quickly passing a short-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The HTF is set to expire on July 31. It is the primary source of federal investments in roads, bridges, highways and transit systems.

The Senate is working on a six-year transportation bill that includes only three years of funding. The House has passed a short-term HTF extension, and Larsen wants the House to do its own work in regular order on a long-term transportation bill.

“The Senate’s transportation bill is not the must-pass piece of legislation that some are claiming. The bill marks progress on a long-term solution to our country’s desperate need for reliable investment in roads, bridges, highways and transit. The only must-pass bill right now is a short-term Highway Trust Fund extension that keeps workers on the job while Congress gets a long-term bill done the right way.

“The Senate should pass a short-term HTF extension with a reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, another critical tool that creates jobs and grows our economy, and send it back to the House for a vote.

“Congress has the chance to get a long-term bill done right. In its current form, the Senate bill fails to make critical increases in transportation funding. It does not address our crumbling major bridges, at-grade rail crossings, or fairness in transportation funding for mid-sized cities. It also changes the way the Washington State Ferry system is funded, which may lead to delays and deficits for Washingtonians who rely on ferries.

“I want to see the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee move forward with its own long-term transportation bill, like the GROW AMERICA Act that I helped introduce. Then the two chambers can work out differences and produce a real, sustainable solution to invest in our country’s roads, bridges, highways and transit systems.

“Passing the extension will give Congress the time to do the transportation bill right. And it will keep workers on the job around the country who are making critical repairs and upgrades to infrastructure right now,” Larsen said.

Larsen recently met with local elected officials, economic development groups, public works departments and other transportation stakeholders across Northwest Washington about their communities’ transportation needs and the role of federal funding. He also recently released a report, “Keeping Our Economy Moving: Northwest Washington’s Transportation Needs,” that explains why transportation infrastructure is so important to Washington state’s economy, why Congress must act, and what he is doing to support a long-term transportation solution.

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