U.S. House Republicans propose $400 billion for highway projects

[May 20, 2021]  By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday proposed $400 billion to fund highway, transit and other and surface transportation programs over five years, less than President Joe Biden's proposal.

Biden, a Democrat, is seeking $2.3 trillion in infrastructure and jobs funding. Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize surface transportation funding.

The House Republican plan would boost spending by 32% over a 2015 law and is up over the $330 billion they proposed last year. House Democrats last year proposed $494 billion over the same period, and there are significant differences over funding priorities.

The Republicans' $400 billion proposal does not include other infrastructure priorities like passenger rail, water, aviation, or broadband internet access, which will be addressed in other proposals.

"The path to improving America’s infrastructure is through partnership – not partisanship," said Representative Sam Graves, the top Republican on the transportation committee. "Republicans want to work together on bipartisan infrastructure solutions, but in order to reach that goal, key principles must be addressed in this process."

The Republican bill would also streamline the federal permitting and environmental review process.

A highway sign on Interstate 75 advises travelers to limit travel in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), taken through a vehicle window, in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston

Biden's mammoth infrastructure proposal includes traditional projects to revitalize roads and bridges, but would also seek to address climate change and social issues such as eldercare. The president said he would pay for the plan by raising taxes on U.S. corporations.

Republicans have rejected Biden's proposal as too broad and too expensive, and instead have sought to reach a bipartisan deal that focuses on roads, bridges, waterways and broadband access.

Democrats have floated a two-track approach that would include a smaller bipartisan package, as well as more sweeping legislation they could enact without Republican support through a process known as reconciliation.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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