Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC - House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC-07) issued the following statement today after the Committee released its bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that invests in America’s roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and highway and motor carrier safety programs. 

The Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (BUILD America 250) Act emphasizes moving people, goods, and freight safely and efficiently across the country. The bill provides the largest ever investment in America’s bridges, focuses on proven surface transportation infrastructure programs, provides passenger rail investments and reforms, improves rail safety, ensures transportation projects and programs are more efficient, encourages innovation, and provides the first ever autonomous commercial motor vehicle framework.

The bill also strengthens the long-term stability of the Highway Trust Fund by ensuring highway users contribute to the maintenance and improvement of our roads. The BUILD America 250 Act injects the Highway Trust Fund with its first new stream of revenue for infrastructure in over three decades. While there is still much to be done to address its solvency, this legislation is a step in the right direction.

"Our nation’s infrastructure is the silent engine of American productivity, and it cannot afford to sit idle," said Congressman Rouzer.  "The BUILD America 250 Act brings commonsense fundamentals back to the forefront, strengthening our roads, highways, and bridges while ensuring the strategic, responsible use of hard-earned taxpayer dollars to get even more projects delivered.  This bill is the culmination of years of hard work and input from Members of Congress and the public, including job creators around the nation, to pass a surface transportation bill that meets the fundamental infrastructure needs of the country.  I look forward to working with Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, and my other colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this critical legislation across the finish line.”

Background:

To prepare for the BUILD America 250 Act, the Committee spent the last 18 months holding numerous hearings, including several chaired by Congressman Rouzer.  The Committee also solicited input, ideas, and priorities for consideration from all Members of the House and infrastructure job creators across the nation – over 11,000 individual policy requests were submitted in total.

The Committee will announce further plans for a legislative markup of the bill, with the ultimate goal of sending legislation from Congress to the President’s desk before the current surface transportation authorization expires on September 30, 2026.

You can find the text of the BUILD America 250 Act here.  A one-pager on the bill can be found here. 

Congressman David Rouzer, North Carolina Republican, represents the state’s Seventh Congressional District. He serves as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.