In The News

The agenda for the 119th Congress is lengthy and important, and much of it has received a great deal of media attention. However, there is one major and important piece of legislation worthy of note which will affect every community in the country but gets little of the media spotlight: the surface transportation reauthorization bill, or “highway bill.” This important legislation is a significant opportunity to craft and implement policies to fuel economic growth, support well-paying jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our transportation systems. For these reasons, this legislation is one of the most impactful bills we craft and pass under the jurisdiction of the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, and in Congress. It directly touches the lives of every American, enhancing the safety, efficiency, and reliability of our bridges, roads, and highways and is necessary for a more resilient transportation network to facilitate the timely movement of people, goods, and services.

President Donald Trump has laid out his vision for a “New Golden Age of America.” With President Trump in office and Republican majorities (although very slim!) in the House and Senate, we have an opportunity to deliver strategic investments in our traditional infrastructure and improve safety and reliability, all while deploying federal funding in the efficient manner that taxpayers deserve. The right investments in our roads, bridges, and highways are absolutely vital to our local economies and our competitiveness worldwide. Investments in these traditional infrastructure projects have the added benefit of generating and returning tax revenue back to the U.S. Treasury. These projects also provide opportunities for hardworking Americans. Every investment we make in our nation’s infrastructure spurs job creation and helps facilitate seamless movement that bolsters our economic standing worldwide.

Across the country, many bridges, roads, and highways need repair or replacement, and these critical projects must be addressed. This is not just about infrastructure. It is about protecting the millions of Americans who rely on these essential connections every single day. To further this effort, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been traveling across the country, identifying national needs and bringing valuable insights back to Washington. With these firsthand assessments, we are committed to creating a safer, more efficient, and more resilient transportation network for the future.

To deliver these projects on time and under budget, we must cut the regulatory red tape that often stalls critical infrastructure projects. Excessive bureaucracy and unnecessary delays can add years to construction timelines, driving up costs and slowing progress. Throughout my time in Congress, I have been committed to streamlining the permitting process and eliminating outdated regulations that stand in the way of efficiency. By removing these roadblocks, we can accelerate the completion of much-needed projects, ensuring our infrastructure investments deliver results faster and more effectively for the American people.

The surface transportation bill provides a vital opportunity to prioritize the safety and economic prosperity of the American people while ensuring we are responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. To achieve this, our focus will be strategic infrastructure investments that drive long-term economic growth.

While policy differences are a constant in any Congress, we should all share a common goal of building a stronger, safer, and more efficient transportation system for our nation. Working together, we can make a surface transportation bill, one that delivers for every citizen, a crowning achievement of this Congress.

Rep. David Rouzer was elected to Congress in 2014. He has served on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since his first term. He is currently chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and a member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.