On Wednesday, January 15, the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met for a hearing titled, “America Builds: The state of nation’s transportation system.” This is the Committee’s first hearing of the 119th Congress. The hearing was an opportunity for all the members, existing and new, to engage with the witnesses in questions and discussion on the upcoming transportation and infrastructure priorities of the Committee and Congress.  

Witness List 

• The Honorable Jeff Landry, Governor, State of Louisiana 
• The Honorable Vanessa Fuentes, Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem, Austin, Texas, on behalf of the National League of Cities 
• Sarah Galica, Vice President, Transportation, The Home Depot 
• Seth Schulgen, Vice President, Williams Brothers Construction, on behalf of the Associated General Contractors of America  

The Role of Government 

The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021 was a significant piece of legislation that injected over $1 trillion in infrastructure and transportation investments into every part of the country. It represented a significant increase in federal spending and support of infrastructure development not seen since the development of the Interstate Highway System. In the context of Wednesday’s hearing, there were fundamental discussions about what role each level of government has, and which level of government is best poised to handle transportation and infrastructure.  

Gov. Landry and a host of Committee members discussed throughout the hearing about the importance of state governments. More than the federal government, they argued, the state governments are better suited to handle infrastructure and transportation. In one example, Gov Landry pointed out that if Louisiana wanted to construct a pipeline to Texas, the decision to do so should rest between Louisiana and Texas. For the governor, the federal government does not need to be involved in such an agreement between two states.  

The concern that members brought up is less to do with the amount of money that came from the IIJA and more do to with regulations. Members consistently bring up the environmental permitting process as an example of regulation and bureaucracy causing delays in project delivery. The time it takes to complete environmental reviews, they argue, is a root cause of projects going over budget and taking years to complete. 

The tension between the federal and state governments is a tale as old as time (or at least as old as the United States). Yet beyond the tension between states and the federal government exists another layer: local government. According to Mayor Pro Tem Fuentes, local governments control around one half of the nation’s infrastructure. As noted by the mayor and many of the members, local governments play a valuable role in transportation and infrastructure development.  

It was evident in the hearing that there is a tension between the state and federal government. However, the relationship between the local and federal governments is less tenuous and more of a positive partnership. Throughout the hearing, Fuentes was clear about the impact of the IIJA on local government’s efforts in transportation and infrastructure development. According to Fuentes, the IIJA opened up the opportunity for local governments to access direct federal support for infrastructure needs. Local governments, like Austin, could tap into the various IIJA programs like the Safe Streets for All program, and invest in roadway safety improvements. Fuentes praised the IIJA as an important source of funding. She urged the Committee to work towards maintaining and increasing the amount of funding in the next surface reauthorization, so that local governments have access to funding and support from the federal government.  

(Ed. Note: The IIJA did indeed distribute a much greater share of its transportation grant funding directly to local governments – bypassing state governments – than ever before, and the decision on how much of this local focus to keep will be a key debate in the next surface transportation reauthorization process.)

The relationship between local and federal government was portrayed as more of partnership in the hearing. Time and again, members and witnesses noted that local governments are keenly aware of community needs and ought to be in control of what infrastructure and transportation projects are important. Direct support from the federal government is a resource that helps local governments achieve their infrastructure and transportation goals.  

Transportation and Infrastructure Priorities 

There is no doubt that there is a laundry list of transportation and infrastructure priorities for this Congress, and that was evident in this full-committee hearing. It was evident in the numerous priorities and issues that were top of mind throughout the hearing.  

Surface Reauthorization. Arguably the most important issue echoed in the Committee room throughout the hearing was ensuring surface transportation reauthorization by 2026. The current IIJA will expire in September 2026. There was a notable support for the need to work towards reauthorization and ensure that the Committee works to address as many issues as possible. In response to several questions, Fuentes noted that not achieving the goal of reauthorization would be a $1 trillion dollar mistake, and that the benefits from the transportation and infrastructure projects can continue if the federal government maintains its funding and preferably increases the amount of funding in the next reauthorization.  

Federal Funding Type. Schulgen stated that the Committee should focus on formula spending, citing the importance of having predictable sources of federal funding. Some members agreed and suggested that formula funds were a much better mechanism for giving out federal money compared to discretionary funds. Gov. Landry suggested that block grants to given to states would be a helpful policy so that money is given directly to states, effectively giving states more responsibility (or autonomy) in infrastructure and transportation decision-making.  

Safety. Fuentes highlighted the success of the Safe Streets for All Program and the Safe Routes to Schools program, noting the benefit it has on improving safety for citizens in Austin. Throughout the hearing, everyone was clear in the desire for prioritizing safety in transportation, especially with the growing concerns of traffic fatalities. Fuentes noted that the increased investment from the IIJA is a critical component of reduced traffic fatalities and improved safety measures.  

Railroad Policy. Representatives Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Nellie Pou (D-NJ) said that investments in intercity passenger rail and Northeast Corridor services are critical to ensuring a robust and well-connected transportation system. Programs of note regarding rail included the Corridor ID program. 

Investments in transit. Fuentes noted that investment in transit is an important lifeline for communities. Transit can be a way to access education, childcare, healthcare, housing, employment, and many other resources. Investments in transit provide transportation options for communities.  

Highway Trust Fund. Several members asked about the state of the Highway Trust Fund, with some concerns about the HTF’s viability in the coming years. Of note was the 80/20 split of HTF dollars, being split between highways and transit. Additionally, members expressed concerns about how the emerging presence of electric vehicles will contribute to funding highway maintenance. Schulgen noted that in Texas, there is a special registration fee for electric vehicles. 

Emergency Federal Aid. Natural disasters were top of mind for many members during the hearing, including the devastating fires in Southern California, and recent disasters affecting the Gulf Coast and North Carolina. Some members stated that emergency federal aid should not be conditional. There was a concern that emergency funding provided to California would somehow be conditional, and members expressed the desire for unconditional emergency federal aid to be a priority during times of emergency.  

Investments in marginalized communities. Transportation investments ought to include underserved communities, so that they are connected to all of the resources available. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) highlighted the importance of prioritizing transportation policies that benefit people with disabilities. Regarding people with disabilities, the representative inquired about how autonomous vehicle (AV) policy can be a tool to support the disabled. Fuentes responded by acknowledging the impact of AV policy on disabled residents and how partnerships between the City of Austin and AV companies is important for the keeping the transportation network safe for everyone. 

Workforce Development and Education. In his opening remarks, Schulgen said that support for career development is important, and that the Committee should focus on ways to promote vocational schools, trade schools, and related training programs in high schools and middle schools. Increasing awareness of the benefits and career path in the trades was a priority noted by many members and witnesses. Fuentes discussed the Austin Infrastructure Academy as an example of a program that is creating a space for trade apprenticeship programs and developing people’s trade careers that will assist in the many infrastructure projects around the Austin area. Galica also discussed how The Home Depot has programs that link people with trade schools.  

Rising Costs. Many members discussed rising costs as an area of concern for the Committee going forward. Members noted rising construction costs, supply chain issues, and inflationary pressures as various elements related to rising infrastructure and transportation costs. Some members noted that streamlining the regulatory process, such as streamlining the environmental review process would cut down on costs and project delays. The witnesses made an important distinction in this conversation. They pointed out that some issues with inflationary pressures were related to the Covid-19 Pandemic and not the IIJA.  

Port Modernization. Members and witnesses observed that ports are an important element of the transportation network. Among the kinds of port investments included investments to relieve truck and rail congestion at ports, dredging at ports, and improved container shipping infrastructure at ports.  

Cybersecurity. Living in a digital age, cybersecurity is an increasingly relevant topic, which members cited as an area that needs more attention. The use of drones and the threat of cyber-attacks were noted as areas of concern.  

Climate Change and Resiliency. There were conversations about building infrastructure that is climate resilient and sustainable. Members and witnesses noted that sustainability and resiliency are important considerations in transportation and infrastructure, as are policies towards zero-emission technologies such as zero-emission buses.  

FAA and Air Traffic Control. Air Traffic Control and FAA reform have been top of mind issues for some time. In the previous 118th Congress, multiple U.S. House and Senate committees held hearings on FAA reauthorization, air traffic control (ATC) reform, and other aviation related issues. ATC workforce shortages and development, ATC modernization, and FAA reform were all suggested areas of priority within aviation policy for the Committee.