Sam Graves: “I want to commend the chairman and ranking member for their ability and, for that matter, all my colleagues on the…”

“I want to commend the chairman and ranking member for their ability and, for that matter, all my colleagues on the committee for our ability to be able to work together and come up with what I think is a truly good bill. I rise in support of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act. The bill reauthorizes programs within the Federal Highway Administration and provides much-needed investments in our Nation's highways and bridges. It also focuses existing funding to create a Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects program for large-scale projects while making a large number of reforms that will ensure our transportation dollars are put to good use. These include streamlining the environmental review and permitting process, converting the Surface Transportation Program to a block grant program, maximizing the flexibility for States and local governments, increasing the amount of funding that is distributed to local governments, expanding funding for rural bridges or those bridges that are off the National Highway System, increasing transparency regarding how Federal highway dollars are being spent, increasing the focus on safety programs particularly of rural roads, and encouraging the installation of vehicle-to-infrastructure equipment designed to reduce congestion and improve safety on our roads.…”