This afternoon, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) voted in favor of H.R. 5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, which will replenish the Highway Trust Fund and extend federal highway and transit programs through May of next year. The Highway Trust fund, which provides crucial funding to states for transportation and infrastructure projects like New Hampshire’s I-93 expansion, is expected to run dry before the end of August, and states have already been forced to put off important bridge and road repair projects for fear of lack of funding.

“Federal transportation funding is vitally important for fixing our failing roads and bridges, protecting public safety, and supporting much-needed construction jobs for NH workers. That’s why I voted in favor of this bill, which provides a short-term solution to the Highway Trust Fund’s lack of funding. This will help ensure states can protect the crucial summer construction jobs our workers rely on,” said Kuster.

“However,” Kuster continued, “I am very disappointed that this bill kicks the can down the road until next May.  I introduced legislation that  would have saved jobs this summer and forced Congress to pass a long-term transportation bill before the end of this year.  I call on my colleagues in the House to come together this year to pass a six-year, long-term bill.  We shouldn’t wait until May to provide the certainty that our states and towns need to continue working to fix our roads and bridges and support Granite State jobs.”

The Highway Transportation and Funding Act of 2014 would provide a short-term funding stopgap to allow summer construction jobs to continue, and would extend authorization and funding for federal highway and transit programs through May 31, 2015.  These programs are set to expire at the end of September. The bill would be funded through a variety of measures including “pension smoothing” provisions, extension of customs fees, and the transferring of money from a fund for underground fuel storage tank repairs.

Kuster has been urging her fellow Members of Congress to address this crisis for months, and she has repeatedly called on House leadership to take immediate action.  She also introduced the DRIVE Now Act, legislation that would have replenished the Highway Trust fund through September, and given Congress time to pass a full, six-year reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund and other Surface Reauthorization programs before their original September 30, 2014 expiration. Earlier this year, Kuster toured the I-93 construction project in Windham and the Route 10 bridge replacement project in Winchester, two projects that could have been threatened by lack of transportation funding, to highlight the urgent need to pass responsible legislation to save the Highway Trust Fund. 

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