Sen. Murray Urges Republicans to Work with Democrats on a Long-Term Transportation Bill

Hundreds of Washington road projects at risk if Congress fails to act

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) joined her Democratic colleagues, as well as labor and business leaders, to urge Republicans to bring a long-term transportation bill to the full Senate floor by July 20. The nation’s current transportation plan, known as MAP-21, expires July 31. The Highway Trust Fund, which provides the money for projects, is set to hit a shortfall around the same time.

(Read the letter Senate Democrats sent to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell here.)

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), without action in Congress, 435 projects in Washington that rely on federal funding could be affected; another 101 projects could be at risk of delay.

Senator Murray, a senior member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, strongly believes the U.S. should make smart investments in roads, bridges, public transit, and safety programs in Washington state and across the country to reduce congestion, move goods, and create jobs.

Senator Murray’s remarks as prepared for delivery at today’s press conference are below.

Thank you. 

 

We stand united on this issue because MAP-21 and the Highway Trust Fund is about more than repairing roads and building bridges.

 

This is about American jobs and economic growth.

 

This is about making sure our nation’s infrastructure is safe, efficient, and ready to meet the demands of our 21^st century economy.

 

 And the longer Republicans refuse to work with us to find a solution, the more it hurts our country—our workers, our communities, and our economy.

 

In my home state of Washington, state transportation officials tell me more than 400 projects are at risk if we do nothing. 

 

Not because these projects aren’t urgently needed.

 

Not because we don’t have the workers who are ready to get the jobs done. 

 

But simply because Congress has yet to give states the certainty they need to move forward.

 

 So, today, we are calling on Republicans to join us– to work toward a long-term transportation bill—and to move on that quickly.

 

 Let’s not go back to the era of lurching from crisis to crisis, cliff to cliff.

 

Let’s do the right thing for workers and the economy, and reach a long-term transportation investment deal.

 

Thank you.