Rep. Graves requests briefing on infrastructure law implementation

Rep. Sam Graves, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s ranking member, wants more information on how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be implemented.

In a letter sent to White House senior adviser and infrastructure coordinator Mitchell Landrieu, Graves requested that the T&I committee be briefed on the plan.

“While I am aware that your task force has engaged in various media events and outreach to governors and mayors, you have yet to fully engage all relevant members of Congress on these matters,” Graves, R-Mo., wrote in his letter.

Graves said it is important to ensure that states and entities receiving funding from the act can address their specific needs and that past mistakes are not repeated, citing implementation of 2009’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He raised concerns that the Federal Highway Administration recently encouraged potential funding recipients to “prioritize the repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction, replacement, and maintenance of existing transportation infrastructure, especially the incorporation of safety, accessibility, multimodal and resilience features.”

“We must ensure that eligible projects are evaluated on statutory criteria and are not penalized merely because they add capacity to our transportation network,” Graves wrote.

In the letter, Graves asked Landrieu to brief the T&I committee no later than Feb. 9.

American Highway Users Alliance letter

Earlier this week, the American Highway Users Alliance reached out to congressional leaders regarding the new infrastructure law.

The coalition, made up of dozens of organizations including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, told Congress that more work needs to be done.

“Our coalition of public and private sector stakeholders in the transportation industry first write to extend our appreciation for robust transportation infrastructure funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” the letter stated.

“With that said, we can begin to fulfill the promise of the (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) expected by the public only when full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2022 become available – the outcome that all of the signing organizations recognize and fully and unreservedly support.”

The coalition is advocating for a full-year appropriations bill and says that a delay of almost six months since the beginning of the fiscal year is “unacceptable and will cause significant project disruptions.” LL