House Subcommittee Leader Eyes May Action on Highway Bill

“It really helps to build a good, strong bipartisan bill” Rouzer said. (Chris Seward/Associated Press)

WASHINGTON — A multiyear surface transportation bill could move through the House of Representatives by the end of next month if the leader of a transportation subcommittee has his way.

Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, told attendees at the Coalition for America’s Gateways & Trade Corridors annual conference that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee — within which his panel sits — is targeting a May markup of what leaders anticipate will be a bipartisan highway bill.

“It really helps to build a good, strong bipartisan bill” that can advance through the Senate ahead of a September policy authority deadline, Rouzer said. Senate leaders have yet to schedule consideration for their legislative version.

A central challenge for lawmakers is identifying a long-term funding solution for highway maintenance and operations. The Highway Trust Fund continues to rely on insufficient revenue from the federal gas and diesel tax, and Rouzer acknowledged that resolving the trust fund’s structural funding issues is likely to take place over several years.

Congress is expected to debate a range of potential funding alternatives during consideration of the bill, including a national vehicle registration fee, electric vehicle and hybrid surcharges, and adjustments to vehicle-related taxes.

The legislation would also focus on funding passenger and freight corridors nationwide, streamlining environmental permitting for infrastructure projects and promoting longstanding safety programs.

House Republican leaders are planning a multiyear measure authorizing roughly $550 billion for programs governing the nation’s mobility system. The House transportation committee recently reviewed policy proposals from members as part of the drafting process. Requests include increased funding for flood mitigation and severe weather resilience programs, improvements to last-mile corridors and initiatives to strengthen supply chain connectivity.

Lawmakers also are weighing how to account for changes in the transportation landscape, which has evolved significantly in recent years. Senior policymakers expect the legislation to be structured to anticipate transportation needs over the next two decades, including greater emphasis on multimodal connectivity and emerging technologies.

Despite some recent gains, the nation’s roadway network continues to face substantial investment needs. The American Society of Civil Engineers last year issued a D-plus grade for U.S. roads, citing an expanding funding gap as infrastructure systems age and demand increases.

“While significant advancements are being made, we still face a substantial investment gap,” ASCE determined.

Industry groups are urging lawmakers to prioritize freight-intensive corridors. American Trucking Associations Vice President of Highway Policy Darrin Roth told Transport Topics earlier this year that more federal dollars should be directed to corridors carrying the bulk of freight and economic activity.

“If you’re going to have a federal bill, you should have a federal focus,” Roth said, pointing to interstate highways as areas where improvements could deliver the greatest economic benefit, particularly along congested freight corridors and roadways in poor condition.

The most recent surface transportation law was enacted as part of the Biden-era bipartisan infrastructure law.