On Thursday, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will consider a long-term reauthorization and reform of federal surface transportation programs, a key component of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7).
Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman John J. Duncan Jr. (R-TN) introduced the legislation in the House earlier this week. The bill reforms and streamlines federal programs, cuts red tape in the project approval process, increases states' flexibility in determining their most critical transportation needs, and encourages private sector participation in financing and rebuilding our infrastructure.
This legislation is the largest transportation reform bill since the creation of the Interstate Highway System. It contains no earmarks and cuts high-speed rail, while also significantly reducing Amtrak funding.