REP. JENKINS: REMEMBER RURAL AMERICA IN TRANSPORTATION BILL

WASHINGTON – In a letter to the leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) urged them to pass a robust, multi-year transportation reauthorization bill and invest in our nation’s rural infrastructure.

“Rural transportation programs are critically important, linking our communities and businesses with our traveling public. I ask you to please ensure that these programs receive adequate funding, which will allow our states to make long-term plans with the reliability and certainty afforded by a strong federal commitment,” Rep. Jenkins wrote to Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.).

As the committee works on a long-term reauthorization bill, Rep. Jenkins hopes they will remember the needs of rural America and ensure rural transportation needs are funded accordingly.

“Southern West Virginia, which I represent, requires different investments than large cities. My state faces unique transportation challenges, including small and remote communities, hilly terrain, increased construction costs, and road projects that have long been promised but not delivered. We have several unfinished projects that are crucial to our state’s economic development, and we need safe, well-maintained roads in West Virginia to grow our economy and transport our families safely,” he wrote.

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, enacted in 2012, authorized highway, transit and other federal surface transportation programs. The Highway Trust Fund’s spending authority was authorized in the act until September 2014, when Congress passed a short-term extension through May 2015. Without congressional action, the Highway Trust Fund will expire on May 31, jeopardizing the ability of states to manage their transportation infrastructure needs.

The text of the full letter is below. A PDF is available here.

April 15, 2015

Chairman Bill Shuster
House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
2165 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C 20515        

Ranking Member Peter DeFazio
House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
2163 Rayburn Office Building
Washington, D.C 20510

Dear Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio:

I write to express support for a robust, long-term reauthorization of surface transportation programs under your committee’s jurisdiction. I applaud you for your past accomplishments, and am optimistic that under your leadership we will continue to enact the transportation legislation necessary for our communities.

Building on the success of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), this Congress has a significant opportunity to advance bipartisan legislation that would provide funding certainty for our states. Our constituents, the nation’s traveling public, and stakeholders in related industries all require a clear commitment from our federal government.

As you craft legislation for a long-term reauthorization to succeed MAP-21, I urge you to consider the needs of America’s rural population. As you are likely aware, more than one-third of America’s population lives outside of urban areas and relies on our nation’s rural transportation infrastructure, including public transit. The demographics, mobility needs and resources of rural areas are different than those of urban areas.

Southern West Virginia, which I represent, requires different investments than large cities. My state faces unique transportation challenges, including small and remote communities, hilly terrain, increased construction costs, and road projects that have long been promised but not delivered. We have several unfinished projects that are crucial to our state’s economic development, and we need safe, well-maintained roads in West Virginia to grow our economy and transport our families safely.

One option to complete these projects is access to innovative financing, such as public-private partnerships, also known as P3s. While P3s are not the only solution to our needs, they are an important tool to help finance our growing infrastructure. I encourage you to continue to include P3s as one component of our overall financing model, as a part of the complete package.

Rural transportation programs are critically important, linking our communities and businesses with our traveling public. I ask you to please ensure that these programs receive adequate funding, which will allow our states to make long-term plans with the reliability and certainty afforded by a strong federal commitment. The Appalachian Development Highway System, for example, provides a much-needed resource for our transportation infrastructure in the region. Reinforcing the importance of such programs in any reauthorization bill would be a key step in addressing our transportation challenges.

Enactment of an enduring reauthorization bill that would create or maintain transportation options for our communities is an important priority for this Congress. This bill offers our nation the opportunity to once again be a leader in the transportation sector and provide Americans with the investments we require for the 21st century. I thank you in advance for your consideration of this request and look forward to working with you to strengthen our country’s transportation infrastructure.

Sincerely,

Evan Jenkins
Member of Congress