U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led a hearing focused on developing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. The session aimed to gather insights from stakeholders and was part of a two-part series to guide the bill's development.
Chairman Capito outlined her three guiding principles for the legislation: improving safety and reliability with impactful investments, reforming federal programs for efficiency, and addressing diverse transportation needs across states. "My vision for this legislation is simple, but important, we want to improve the movement of people and goods," she stated.
Capito emphasized learning from past experiences with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to shape future policies. She acknowledged challenges in implementing IIJA but noted progress in resolving grant award backlogs. "We will apply the lessons learned from the IIJA to shape the next bill," she said.
The senator stressed collaboration among Senate colleagues, the Trump administration, and stakeholders to finalize the bill before IIJA expires in September 2026. "We must be pragmatic, work in a bipartisan fashion to deliver a bill that sets us up for a productive conversation on this reauthorization effort with our colleagues in the House," Capito added.
The hearing included discussions on how federal requirements could be streamlined to reduce costs and expedite project completion. Capito advocated for eliminating duplicative programs and enhancing highway formula programs' funding.
The committee aims to craft legislation that reflects state-specific needs while avoiding top-down mandates from Washington D.C., allowing states flexibility in addressing their unique transportation challenges.
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