On the recordMay 13, 2015
As we celebrate national Infrastructure Week here in this country, I urge my colleagues across the aisle to work with us to develop a sensible, long-term solution to fix this trust fund and put an end to our infrastructure crisis. We need reliable roads, highways, and bridges to keep our economy moving, and for almost 60 years we have depended on the highway trust fund to make necessary repairs to our Nation's deteriorating infrastructure. However, the gas tax hasn't been raised in 20 years and no longer generates enough revenue to meet our needs. The highway trust fund faces a serious and immediate funding shortage. The deadline to fix this is just weeks away--just 6 legislative days. So unless we act now, construction projects across the country will come to a standstill, putting the jobs of 600,000 American workers on the line. Paving our highways and keeping our bridges safe and reliable is one of the most basic jobs of Congress. We have until May 31 to figure this out. Failing is not an option. ____________________
