Press Releases

Chairman Graves’ remarks as prepared:

Thank you, Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member McGovern, and Members of the Committee.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee produced recommendations to meet our instructions by combining critical investments in border security, our national defense, and needed modernization of America’s air traffic control system with cuts to wasteful spending and other deficit reducing measures.

For more than 20 years, the Coast Guard has received less than half of the capital investment necessary to successfully carry out its critical missions.  To support the Coast Guard, we provide more than $21 billion to recapitalize Coast Guard assets, including the acquisition of cutters, aircraft, and icebreakers, while also funding the construction of the facilities needed to support these new assets.  With more than half of total funding going toward maritime assets, we are also aligning with the President’s recent executive order to strengthen America’s shipbuilding capabilities.

Additionally, following the tragic aviation accidents in recent months, this committee has heard directly from stakeholders and the Trump Administration about the need to improve the safety and reliability of our nation’s aviation system.  The FAA faces serious operational and financial challenges due to its aging infrastructure and workforce shortage.  In response, the Committee provides a $12.5 billion down payment for air traffic control modernization efforts.  This down payment allows the Trump Administration to immediately begin replacing critical telecommunications infrastructure and radar systems; invest in runway safety and airport surface surveillance projects; replace air traffic control towers and TRACONs; and fund air traffic controller recruitment, retention, and training.

Finally, we address the chronic Highway Trust Fund shortfall in a meaningful way for the first time in more than 30 years.  The Congressional Budget Office projects a $142 billion cumulative shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund over the five-year period following the expiration of the current authorization.  Put simply, the system for funding our federal surface transportation programs is broken.  Our recommendations implement a $250 annual fee on electric vehicles (EVs) and a $100 annual fee on hybrid vehicles and deposit all collections into the Highway Trust Fund.  For too long, EVs have operated on our nation’s roads without paying into the system, which is primarily funded by federal taxes on gasoline and diesel.  Plain and simple: this is a fairness issue.  It is time these roadway users directly pay into the system that supports the highways they drive on.

We all want to invest in our Coast Guard, rebuild our air traffic control system, and finally address the broken Highway Trust Fund.  I believe that our recommendations deliver on these objectives.