Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement about the passage of H.R 22, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which passed the House by a vote of 359 to 66.

"Since taking office, I’ve continually advocated for smart, pro-growth transportation policies to develop the infrastructure we need to compete in the 21st Century.  Unfortunately, for more than a year, Congress has moved from one short-term authorization of our highway programs to the next, harming the ability of states to plan new projects and putting jobs at risk.  Today I was pleased to join a strong bipartisan majority of my colleagues to vote for a long-term, five-year transportation authorization that will boost overall funding and give planners the certainty they need to undertake large-scale infrastructure projects to drive economic growth and create jobs.

This legislation includes important funding for the Federal Transit Administrations “New Starts” program which supports the construction of public transportation systems and is a critical funding source for expanding passenger rail in the Northeast.  The FAST Act also provides $6.3 billion in funding for the National Freight Program, which aims to increase the economic competitiveness, efficiency and productivity of our nation’s vast freight network as well as $200 million to help commuter railroad companies install Positive Train Control technology that will reduce collisions and improve passenger safety. 

I was disappointed, however, that this legislation did not utilize a dedicated funding source to pay for all five years that the bill authorizes.  The FAST Act uses $70 billion in an array offsets from elsewhere in the federal budget to pay for the first three years of the bill, while the remaining two years are not paid for.  I am a strong supporter of efforts to utilize revenue from international tax reform to fund our highway programs over the next several years and I look forward to working with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to ensure that we act soon to fulfill the funding promises made in this legislation.”

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