Hearing

Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO)
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Subcommittee
“Building a 21^st Century Infrastructure for America: Highway and Transit Stakeholders’ Perspectives”

October 11, 2017
Opening Statement
(Remarks as Prepared)

I would like to welcome everyone to today’s hearing.

This hearing will focus on how we can build a 21^st Century infrastructure.

The Committee is holding a host of hearings to gather ideas on what Congress can do to help achieve that goal.

Today, we will hear ideas from our highways and transit stakeholders.

Gathering input from our stakeholders is essential to the process we use to develop federal surface transportation policy.

It was valuable in our efforts to pass the FAST Act, the first long term highway bill in a decade, and we will continue to need your assistance with future legislation.

Even with the additional resources we provided in FAST, the Nation’s surface transportation system still needs additional investments.

Enacting a long-term solution for the Highway Trust Fund is a critical component to ensuring that we can address those needs in the future.

Since passage of the FAST Act, building consensus on a solution to fund surface transportation programs has been a central priority of mine and of this Committee.

Providing federal funding certainty for our non-federal partners is vital to planning and building infrastructure for the 21^st Century.

This is a bipartisan issue and I look forward to working constructively with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, as well as our stakeholders, to ensure we achieve this goal.

A modern infrastructure means a strong America – an America that competes globally, supports local and regional economic development, and creates jobs.

Thank you to all our witnesses here today.

We look forward to hearing your perspectives.

Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA)
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
“Building a 21^st Century Infrastructure for America: Highway and Transit Stakeholders’ Perspectives”

October 11, 2017
Opening Statement
(Remarks as Prepared)

Thank you, Chairman Graves.

Thank you to our witnesses for being here today and for helping us understand what we need to do to build a 21^st Century infrastructure.

To me, a 21^st Century infrastructure means more local jobs for our communities; getting people, goods, products, and crops where they need to go more efficiently and at less cost; and ensuring that America is competitive.

President Trump is a builder – he gets it.

We look forward to seeing the Administration’s infrastructure proposal.

We also want to hear from stakeholders on your policy and funding priorities.

One that I think we all agree on is finding a long-term fix to the Highway Trust Fund.

All solutions should be on the table. 

Fixing the Trust Fund will help our non-federal partners make critical investments in our surface transportation system.