Blue Dogs Push for Hearing on Future of Highway Trust Fund
March 30, 2015
Washington, D.C. – Representatives from the Blue Dog Coalition sent a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Ranking Member Sander Levin, asking for a hearing to discuss the future of the Highway Trust Fund and emphasizing the importance of investing in our roads, bridges and transit systems.
“With the insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund looming, we believe Congress must act in a bipartisan manner to ensure that we are able to make critical investments in our nation’s aging infrastructure to boost the economy and put more Americans back to work,” said the Blue Dog Members.
“It is the position of the Blue Dogs that any comprehensive infrastructure package should be fully paid for in a fiscally responsible manner and a hearing would allow Ways and Means Committee members the opportunity to explore avenues for providing sustainable, reliable, and responsible transportation funding and planning well into the future.”
The Highway Trust Fund was established in 1956 to finance the United States Interstate Highway System. In recent years, the Trust has faced insolvency due to Congress’s inability to secure a long-term funding source. The current funding for the Fund will expire on May 31st, unless Congress passes a bill.