Saying the nation’s network of roads and bridges is “in a huge ditch,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Monday that it’s time for Congress to act on a long-term transportation bill — and touted his administration’s newly unveiled legislative proposal as one solution.
“We’ve had catastrophes, and it’s unfortunate that we’ve had to have catastrophes,” Foxx told POLITICO’s Mike Allen at a Playbook Lunch event, mentioning the 2007 Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis that killed 13 people. “I think, frankly, the American public have to demand action in Washington.”
The administration’s $478 billion bill, unveiled Monday, would fund highway and transit programs for six years and would be partially funded by revenue from a one-time tax on corporations’ profits held overseas. But if Congress’ treatment of the Obama administration’s last big transportation package is any gauge, this version is unlikely to receive much serious consideration on Capitol Hill.
“It’s a big bill designed to solve some of our big problems in transportation,” Foxx said. He added, “I just think we need to get out of this box of rooting against ourselves as a country.”
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The existing federal highway law runs out May 31, make it more likely that Congress will need to pass a short-term fix. But relying on yet another legislative patch will “paralyze” the system, Foxx said.
“You’ve got to do something now. You’ve got to pivot to growth,” he said.
Under the bill, federal highway programs would receive $317 billion in funding over six years, about a $12 billion annual increase. Transit spending would increase by about 75 percent compared with current levels.
In addition to providing more funding for highway and transit, the bill would create a national freight program backed by $18 billion, a significantly boost for federal dollars for grant and loan programs. It would nearly triple the budget for the office that investigates auto safety defects, while allowing federal regulators to prohibit rental car agencies and auto dealers from renting, selling or leasing cars with outstanding safety hazards. The bill would also give DOT the authority to require automakers to immediately stop selling vehicles that pose an imminent danger of injury or death.
One major challenge for Foxx’s department is the erosion of revenues for the federal Highway Trust Fund, which is backed by a federal gasoline tax that isn’t indexed to inflation and hasn’t been raised since the Clinton administration. Foxx wouldn’t commit to supporting a rise in the gas tax or some new funding mechanism, such as a fee based on miles driven that some transportation policy experts favor.
“We’ve always been very clear that we’re willing to listen to any ideas that emerge from Congress,” Foxx said.
