Every four to six years, Congress works in a bipartisan fashion to enact a multi-year highway bill that sets surface transportation priorities for America. The last such bill was signed into law by President Bush in 2005 and expired in September 2009. The new bill, which would set policy and funding levels for the first half of the decade, is nearly two years late. With each passing day, we allow our infrastructure to become more obsolete and deficient. Our parents didn’t leave us third-world roads and we shouldn’t do so for our children! The highway bill is critical to get America’s economy moving and improve our families’ quality of life. The bill being proposed by Congress will eliminate earmarking, consolidate duplicative programs and reduce bureaucratic delays. The Highway Users is working with our elected officials to establish new policies that focus federal attention on important safety, congestion, commerce, and aging infrastructure challenges. Without a multi-year highway bill in effect by the end of the year, the American economy will be weakened by short-term extensions that short-change taxpayers.
