Majority Statement

• Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

  Chairman

  U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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  Majority Statement

  Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

  Until recently, this nation was the global leader when it came to building the greatest bridges, interstates, tunnels, canals, ports and railways. From coast to coast, we are reminded of those golden days of innovation, and investment that ultimately set our nation apart from the rest of the world.

  But those days of big ideas, bold investments, and preparing for the future seem to be behind us. This nation, which once dared to dream and lead, has retreated from the legacy of our predecessors. We’ve gotten into a rut. We’re unable to pass long-term funding transportation bills rooted in bold ideas. Instead, we’re now focused on the nickels and dimes of our deficit – and mainly because of the high political costs associated with proposing any kind of revenue increase. 

  Sadly, this short-sightedness has left us with a broken and increasingly second-rate transportation system. This has left commuters sitting in traffic for hours daily, wasting precious time. It’s left us with shaky bridges that have compromised the safety of our traveling public. 

  Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve described the dismal state of our nation’s infrastructure. Nor is it the first time I’ve expressed my dismay that we’ve grown accustomed to an ad-hoc, short-term approach to funding our nation’s infrastructure – moving from one inadequate funding bill to the next without much care for the long term implications of this negligent way of governing. 

  Collectively, Congress has shown neither the will nor the courage to put aside differences and work to find a long-term solution. This hurts everyone. It impairs commerce. It has soured our ability to do big things, to be the country that is innovating and investing and building projects that will define our future. 

  Nations around the world have come to realize, just as we once did, that in order to grow their economies and increase competiveness, they have to invest – whether it’s expanding the Panama Canal, building high-speed rail lines, or adding capacity at ports.   
   
  We all know the statistics of the state of our infrastructure. They’re about as bad as it gets. We’re unwilling to pay for what we so desperately need. Going forward, our economy, our global competitiveness, and the safety of the traveling public will continue to suffer unless we change course immediately.

  I am a firm believer that the federal government has a critical role to play in upgrading our nation’s infrastructure. We need to lead. We need to create a coherent and unified mission for our federal surface transportation programs – and in some places, we need to grow those programs. This is not a partisan issue; this is a fundamental economic issue.

  The Department of Transportation recently estimated that the Highway Trust Fund will run out of money in August, and need an additional infusion of general fund monies just to get us through the busy construction season. This is just another reminder of what we already know and what we have been discussing for years. We need more money for our infrastructure system. It’s the only way we’re going to begin to solve our problems.

  My colleague and friend, Senator Boxer, has already signaled that she’s serious about passing a long-term transportation bill. I intend to support her every step of the way in this goal. It is my hope that all of our colleagues will put aside the politics and the shortsightedness, and join us in this effort. 
  
  Beyond dealing with repairs of our existing infrastructure, we are experiencing a fundamental shift in transportation trends across the country. Vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient, young adults continue to drive less, and public transportation ridership is at an all-time high. What this means is that we also need to rethink our approach to transportation investment.   

  Congress, the Administration, the transportation community, and the American people need to put the politics and timidity aside, and move forward with a renewed purpose in rebuilding our country. None of these proposals alone will be the silver bullet for all our infrastructure needs, but we can conclude that the status quo is insufficient.

  The nation’s transportation system should be something that unites us, leads to growth in our economy and creates jobs. I am glad to have Secretary Foxx here today to discuss the Administration’s proposal that makes some bold changes to how we look at and fund transportation. 

  I was pleased the Administration proposed significant new funding to keep the country moving forward, and to also allocate resources to where our transportation system sorely needs them – such as moving freight and improving rail service. I look forward to our discussion today.

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Minority Statement

• Senator John R Thune

  Ranking Member

  U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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  Minority Statement

  Senator John R Thune

  Thank you Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing today. I would like to welcome Secretary Foxx back to the committee. We appreciate the opportunity to discuss with you the administration’s surface transportation proposal as well as other matters.

  Maintaining and improving our nation’s infrastructure is absolutely vital to our country’s economic prosperity. States like South Dakota rely on a top quality transportation network to connect the vast distances between our communities and to help deliver critical agriculture products and natural resources via truck and freight rail to markets across the country and around the globe. 

  Also important is the safety mission of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which not only conducts vehicle safety research, but also administers various grants to keep motorists safe. While we are approaching the expiration of the most recent Surface Transportation bill (MAP-21) that was signed into law just less than two years ago, like the Chairman, I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on both the Commerce Committee and also the Finance Committee to ensure that we continue to have a robust surface transportation program.

  I am glad that the administration released its first-ever surface transportation reauthorization proposal last week, especially in light of the anticipated shortfalls facing the Highway Trust Fund.

  As many in this room know, the Highway Trust Fund is projected to become insolvent later this summer. This shortfall, which is already being felt, will lead to delays in highway and safety improvements and reimbursements to states and the construction sector.  

  This is particularly problematic for cold-weather states such as South Dakota that have a shorter construction season and a limited window to make decisions regarding which projects to select, bid, and ultimately begin construction.

  As Congress works to reauthorize our nation’s highway programs, the most important question we must answer is how we will pay for the program going forward. 

  Since serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during TEA-21, to our efforts with SAFETEA-LU, and most recently MAP-21, I am skeptical about the financing proposals the administration has put forward to fund its $302 billion plan, especially the administration’s reliance upon one-time revenues from so-called corporate tax reform. This aspect of the plan is unlikely to secure broad support in Congress and fails to provide a longer-term funding solution for these vital programs. 

  I am also concerned by the administration’s proposal to fund additional programs—including new programs on passenger rail and vehicle safety and an expansion of TIGER —through the successor to the Highway Trust Fund. In a time of limited revenue, it would be unwise to make new promises regarding programs that have the potential to divert funding from the core mission of the Highway Trust Fund.    

  Nevertheless, there are some provisions I am encouraged by, including the fact that the administration has finally recognized my call for extending the deadline for Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation. As we have discussed previously in this committee, delays at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other unforeseen events since enactment of the PTC mandate in 2008, have prevented nearly all passenger and freight railroads from moving forward on implementation of this technology. 

  Along with Senators Blunt, McCaskill, and Pryor I have introduced legislation, which is supported by other members of this committee, to extend the 2015 deadline in order to provide all railroads with a realistic timeframe for full implementation. 

  There are now fourteen bipartisan co-sponsors of this legislation, and I hope that our committee will address the PTC issue yet this Congress. 

  Unfortunately, however, the administration’s proposal does not include a straightforward extension of the 2015 deadline, something which I think is necessary, especially given the delays at the FCC. I hope to see such an extension included in any final bill reported out of our committee, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and with the administration on this important issue.

  Thank you again Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing, and I look forward to Secretary Foxx’s testimony. 

Testimony

• The Honorable Anthony Foxx

  Secretary of Transportation
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