Infrastructure initiatives remain a top priority for Congress, White House

From Transport Topics.

Now that former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial is out of the way, Congress and the White House say they can finally get to legislating.

For infrastructure and transportation policymakers, this probably means an opportunity to ready the advancement of major pieces of legislation on freight, climate, highways and autonomous vehicles.

Already, the leadership of the congressional highway committees (i.e., Senate Environment and Public Works, House Transportation & Infrastructure) indicated they are crafting bipartisan measures focused on infrastructure, climate change and renewable energy.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), EPW’s new chairman, met recently at the White House with fellow Delawarean, President Joe Biden, for some strategizing.

The chairman observed, “President Biden made it clear that investing in our transportation is a top priority. The American people desperately want us to bring our roads, trains and bridges out of the last century and into the future. … I’m currently putting together a bipartisan bill that does just that, and I’m glad it’s at the top of the administration’s agenda.”

Carper’s counterpart in the House, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), recently managed a markup on funding proposals for sectors affected by the pandemic. The hearing served as a forum for lawmakers to highlight concerns across sectors, such as transit, railroads, pipelines, waterways, ports, et al. Per trucking, Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) had offered an amendment that was designed to enhance nationwide parking options for truck drivers. Although the congressman withdrew his amendment, members of the committee expressed a commitment to revisit concerns related to the trucking industry.

See the complete article from Transport Topics online.