Inhofe, Boxer, Vitter, Carper Introduce Six-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization97179

Washington, DC. -- U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee; Barbara Boxer (D-CA), ranking member of the Senate E.P.W. Committee; David Vitter (R-La.), chairman of the E.P.W. Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure; and Tom Carper (D-Del.), senior member of the E.P.W. Committee, today introduced a six-year surface transportation reauthorization bill titled the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act. The legislation is scheduled for a committee business meeting on Wednesday.

"I am proud of the bipartisan work that has culminated in a six-year surface transportation reauthorization," said Inhofe. "Our nation's roads and highways have suffered under too many short-term extensions, which have led to higher costs, more waste, and less capability to prioritize major modernization plans to address growing demands on our interstates. The DRIVE Act will provide states and local communities with the certainty they deserve to project and construct infrastructure plans efficiently. This bipartisan bill also contains the hallmark accomplishment of a new freight plan to prioritize federal spending on the facilities that will most directly benefit our economy, in addition to prioritizing federal dollars towards bridge safety and the interstate system. The DRIVE Act will help set the tone for America's economic future by putting our nation back on the map as the best place to do business. We look forward to working with our committee in leading this bill out of markup and to the Senate floor for consideration."

"The clock is ticking, and action in the E.P.W. Committee is a major 1st step -- the other committees also need to act," Boxer said.

"Roads and infrastructure are literally the foundation of our everyday lives. I'm certainly proud to say that we've come up with a workable, passable bipartisan bill that will make the necessary updates that our nation's roads and bridges desperately need," said Vitter. "The Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act) will reduce traffic congestion, which will allow folks to spend less time in traffic and more time with their families, and enhance the flow of commerce. This bill is a win-win for everyday Americans and our economy."

"One of the most important things we do as members of Congress is to help provide Americans with a transportation system that is worthy of this country," said Senator Carper. "I'm proud to stand with Sens. Inhofe, Boxer and Vitter today and introduce a strong, bipartisan bill that makes the improvement of our roads, highways, bridges and transit systems a priority for the next 6 years. Our work, however, is not finished. In order to make the DRIVE Act a reality, we must provide full backing so that city, state and local governments have the certainty they need to make the investments we've outlined in this bill. I am steadfast in my dedication to working with my colleagues in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to find the bipartisan backing compromise Americans expect and deserve."

To view a summary of the bill, click here.

To view the full text of the bill, click here.