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Blumenauer: Conference Process Provides Opportunity for Congress to Address Surface Transportation Funding

November 5, 2015

Washington, DC – Today, Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) released the following statement on House passage of H.R. 22, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act:

“While the House-passed surface transportation reauthorization has some good elements, it fails to give America the certainty it needs or provide what local communities want and deserve – funding that is long-term and dedicated, and greater than current, inadequate spending levels. As I’ve said time and time again, we can no longer keep trying to pay for 2015 infrastructure needs with 1993 dollars. I offered a solution that the House refused to consider.

“This legislation provides a solid framework to build on, and it will improve through the conference process. I hope that my colleagues now take the opportunity to turn this into an actual reauthorization with real funding that can begin to provide the investment needed to rebuild and renew America. The best and most logical solution is to raise the gas tax. Until we do that, Americans are shortchanged.”

This week, the House Rules Committee blocked consideration of Representative Earl Blumenauer’s (OR-03) amendment to raise the federal gas tax, as the House considered the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act. Representative Blumenauer’s amendment would have raised federal gas and diesel taxes 15 cents over three years and indexed them to inflation.