Taylor Helps Advance Surface Transportation Reauthorization Through House Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) released the following statement upon today’s passage of H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, also known as the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill, through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by a vote of 62-2. This five-year, bipartisan bill reauthorizes and invests in critical surface transportation infrastructure across the nation, including roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and highway and motor carrier safety programs.
“Buckeye families depend on safe and accessible roads to get to work and take their kids to school, and our local industries rely on safe transportation networks to keep business moving,” said Congressman Taylor. “I am proud to help advance this historic investment in America’s critical infrastructure and see provisions from three of my bills included to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency in our transportation industry. This bill will cut red tape to accelerate infrastructure projects, strengthen highway safety for motorists, and support our hardworking truckers. Thank you to Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for their leadership on this bill, and I look forward to seeing it implemented to help American families and industries thrive.”
“The purpose of the BUILD America 250 Act is right there in its name. We are celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation and the infrastructure that has helped form it, and this bill is about building the infrastructure we need for America’s future,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO). “This bill makes historic investments in our bridges and other critical infrastructure, reduces costs and delays in building, ensures states have the resources and flexibility they need, bolsters the Highway Trust Fund, fosters innovation, and provides a framework for safely integrating autonomous commercial motor vehicles onto our highways. I want to thank all the Committee Members on both sides of the aisle for the long hours of debate they put in today on this vital legislation. I look forward to moving this bill on the House floor in the near future, and to working with the Senate to pass a final bill before the current law expires on September 30th.”
“You can’t have a big-league economy with little-league infrastructure,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA). “The BUILD America 250 Act will create good paying jobs while restoring aging bridges, repairing crumbling roads, and supporting safe, accessible rail, transit and bike infrastructure. My top priority this Congress was building on the momentum that the last bipartisan infrastructure law created for our transportation system and our economy and that’s exactly what the BUILD America 250 Act does. I want to thank Chairman Graves for his partnership and all my colleagues on the committee for their input and support. I look forward to swift passage by the full House.”
Three bills led or co-led by Congressman Taylor were included in the BUILD America 250 Act:
- Towing Safety Act: Waives the federal length requirements for tow truck operators responding to a wrecked or disabled vehicle, allowing them to transport the vehicle to a safe, nearby location to ensure safety for responders and motorists
- I-73 Corridor Resolution: Recognizes the economic benefits an interstate highway heading south from Columbus could provide to the Appalachian region and supports a study evaluating the planning, designing, and development of it
- SAFE Act: Establishes a mechanism to accurately identify chameleon carriers during the registration process, ensuring they can be held accountable for violations under the law
Congressman Taylor’s opening remarks in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup of the BUILD America 250 Act are available here.
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