INSIDER
House signs off on FAA bill that addresses aircraft safety and the refund rights of passengers
Read full article: House signs off on FAA bill that addresses aircraft safety and the refund rights of passengersCongress has passed a bill that is designed to add more safety inspectors at aircraft factories and to give air travelers automatic refunds for canceled or long-delayed flights.
Inflation taking bite out of new infrastructure projects
Read full article: Inflation taking bite out of new infrastructure projectsInflation is taking a toll on infrastructure projects across the U.S. Rising prices for materials such as asphalt, steel and iron pipes are driving up the costs to build roads, bridges, rail lines and water mains.
Buttigieg tells states to consider safety for road projects
Read full article: Buttigieg tells states to consider safety for road projectsThe federal government has a new warning to states seeking billions of dollars from President Joe Bidenโs infrastructure law to widen roads: You must protect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists or risk losing the money.
Dems aim for July vote as Congress digs in on infrastructure
Read full article: Dems aim for July vote as Congress digs in on infrastructurePresident Joe Biden will unveil his $2 trillion infrastructure plan and the plan aims to revitalize U.S. transportation infrastructure, water systems, broadband and manufacturing, among other goals. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)WASHINGTON โ Even before President Joe Biden unveiled his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, congressional committees were laying the groundwork for a major public works investment with the goal of passage over the summer. Lawmakers can begin making their earmark requests starting Thursday with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is working on a roads and transit bill. Still, Democratic lawmakers and the White House are holding out the prospect for generating some bipartisan support even if that looks increasingly unlikely. โThe presidentโs blueprint is a multitrillion-dollar partisan shopping list of progressive priorities, all broadly categorized as โinfrastructureโ and paid for with massive, job-killing tax increases,โ Graves said.
Dems aim for July vote as Congress digs in on infrastructure
Read full article: Dems aim for July vote as Congress digs in on infrastructurePresident Joe Biden will unveil his $2 trillion infrastructure plan and the plan aims to revitalize U.S. transportation infrastructure, water systems, broadband and manufacturing, among other goals. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)WASHINGTON โ Even before President Joe Biden unveiled his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan Wednesday, congressional committees were laying the groundwork for a major public works investment with the goal of passage over the summer. Lawmakers can begin making their earmark requests starting Thursday with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is working on a roads and transit bill. Still, Democratic lawmakers and the White House are holding out the prospect for generating some bipartisan support even if that looks increasingly unlikely. โThe presidentโs blueprint is a multitrillion-dollar partisan shopping list of progressive priorities, all broadly categorized as โinfrastructureโ and paid for with massive, job-killing tax increases,โ Graves said.
Buttigieg pitches 'once in a generation' infrastructure fix
Read full article: Buttigieg pitches 'once in a generation' infrastructure fixButtigieg says America's infrastructure needs exceed $1 trillion and that other countries like China are pulling ahead. It's a disparity that Buttigieg is calling a threat to our collective future in prepared remarks to Congress. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)WASHINGTON โ Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called for a once in a generation infrastructure investment Thursday that would address a massive backlog in needed improvements for the nation's roads, bridges and transit systems, while also tackling climate change. โA transportation bill needs to be a transportation bill โ not the Green New Deal,โ said Republican Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri, referring to a sweeping Democratic plan to shift the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels. We can do this.โAt the same time, DeFazio said an infrastructure bill will need to focus on the challenges of the 21st century, a nod to climate change.
Buttigieg: Biden plan will usher in a new transportation era
Read full article: Buttigieg: Biden plan will usher in a new transportation era(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday that an infrastructure plan expected soon from President Joe Biden will offer a โonce in a centuryโ opportunity to remake transportation in the United States, where cars and highways are no longer king. โBut Iโll add there are some things that need to be reduced ... sometimes roads need to go on a diet." People also are shifting to other modes of transportation, such as bicycles or scooters, for shorter trips. During the presidential campaign, Biden laid the groundwork by proposing $2 trillion to address infrastructure and climate change. Buttigieg made clear his work on the Biden team is just getting started.
Democratic push to revive earmarks divides Republicans
Read full article: Democratic push to revive earmarks divides RepublicansA dirty word for many Republicans is making the rounds on Capitol Hill -- earmarks. It's a question that's vexing Republicans as they consider whether to join a Democratic push to revive earmarks, the much-maligned practice where lawmakers direct federal spending to a specific project or institution back home. Democratic appropriators in the House see a solution and are proposing a revamped process allowing lawmakers to submit public requests for โcommunity project fundingโ in federal spending bills. The ranking Republican on the committee, Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri, said earmarks would not increase the amount of money spent in a bill. โThatโs something I feel pretty strongly about.โNorman worries that earmarks would be used to entice Republicans to vote for bills with expensive price tags.
Biden attempts bipartisan push for infrastructure package
Read full article: Biden attempts bipartisan push for infrastructure package(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ President Joe Biden tried to maintain bipartisan momentum for a new infrastructure program by meeting Thursday with Republican and Democratic lawmakers at the White House. The meeting was about โwhat weโre gonna do to make sure we once again lead the world across the board on infrastructure," Biden said. The prospect of funding roads, bridges, ports, broadband and other infrastructure is a chance for Biden to rebuild his relationship with Republicans. Biden met Thursday with eight members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, a follow-up to a February 11 meeting with senators on infrastructure. โSecond, a transportation bill needs to be a transportation bill that primarily focuses on fundamental transportation needs, such as roads and bridges.
Biden team readies wider economic package after virus relief
Read full article: Biden team readies wider economic package after virus reliefA White House proposal could come out in March. Democrats passed a $1.5 trillion package in the House last year, but it went nowhere with the Trump administration and the Republican-led Senate. AdDuring the presidential campaign, Biden pledged to deploy $2 trillion on infrastructure and clean energy, but the White House has not ruled out an even higher price tag. โHeโs been a long fan of investing in infrastructure โ long outdated โ long overdue, I should say,โ White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. Rep. Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the AP that he foresees a comprehensive House package that will go beyond roads, bridges and public transit.
House approves $1.5T plan to fix crumbling infrastructure
Read full article: House approves $1.5T plan to fix crumbling infrastructureDemocrats hailed the House bill, which goes far beyond transportation to fund schools, health care facilities, public utilities and affordable housing. The White House promised a veto if the measure reaches the president's desk. No formal proposal has emerged, although the White House has suggested the next virus response bill could include an infrastructure component. The centerpiece of the House legislation is a nearly $500 billion, 5-year surface transportation plan for roads, bridges and railways. The White House said in its veto threat that the proposal is heavily skewed toward programs that would disproportionately benefit Americas urban areas."