U.S. Chamber Praises Bipartisan Action on Highway Trust Fund

U.S. Chamber Praises Bipartisan Action on Highway Trust Fund

Congress Must Now Develop a Long-Term Solution to Transportation Law

WASHINGTON, D.C.–- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today praised the bipartisan action by Congress to immediately shore up the depleted Highway Trust Fund and called on the President to sign the bill into law to avoid jeopardizing thousands of construction projects across the country.

"We applaud Congress for addressing this looming crisis in a bipartisan manner," said Bruce Josten, the U.S. Chamber's executive vice president for government affairs. "But like patching a pothole, this is a short term fix. Congress must develop a long-term solution when reauthorizing the surface transportation law next year. Every funding option must be on the table."

The bill (HR 6532) transfers $8 billion from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund, ensuring there is no further disruption in highway reimbursements to the states and reestablishes certainty to the federal-aid highway program.

"By acting now, Congress avoided reducing or delaying spending that would have disrupted vital maintenance and improvement efforts already underway," Josten said. "We urge the President to sign this bill into law as soon as possible."

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

www.uschamber.com

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