While Pushing for Long-Term Transportation Reauthorization, Norton Focuses on May 31 Deadline for Authorization for States and D.C. to Continue Spending

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ranking Member of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, today continued her push for a long-term federal surface transportation authorization, which is set to expire in just four legislative days, on May 31. Norton said that although there will be sufficient funds in the Highway Trust Fund until the end of July, if Congress fails to take action before May 31, federal reimbursements to states will end and highways and transit programs will shut down on June 1, forcing furloughs of federal employees. She said that, ironically, funds in the Highway Trust Fund remain beyond the current authorization period because states cannot begin major projects without long-term funding assurances.

In light of the deadline to allow states to continue to spend what is left in the Highway Trust Fund, Norton has been raising the public profile on the critical need for a long-term reauthorization. She visited the H Street Bridge, a critical District of Columbia infrastructure project, replacement of which, like thousands of projects nationwide, cannot get started with short-term funding, and depends on a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill. She has also encouraged her Democratic colleagues to use Floor time to press the Republican leadership to act. Norton said much more public pressure is needed because there has been no serious consideration of a long-term transportation funding bill by Republican leadership in the House, reinforced yesterday when Speaker John Boehner told reporters that "no decisions have been made" on replenishing the Highway Trust Fund, and that "it's probably not going to happen next week."

"The House Republican majority has become so accustomed to last-minute fixes to address self-inflicted crises that patching up transportation funding with another short-term bill is almost inevitable at this late date, frustrating the states and leaving our nation's infrastructure, job creation and economic development on the table," Norton said. "I know that the Republican and Democratic leadership of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are committed to a long-term transportation bill that can work. They need and deserve public support."