The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) was set up in 1956 to fund the build and maintain a transportation network nationwide. Today, it is the national bank account for roads, bridges and transit that reimburses states for eligible projects. Inaction by Congress has put the Highway Trust Fund in jeopardy, and with a month left before the temporary funding fix runs out on July 31st, Congress is nowhere near to closing a deal to generate sustainable revenue for the nation’s highway, bridge, and transit systems – investments vital to the health of our recovering economy. #FixTheTrustFund is a call to action to solve this transportation problem today.
This week Congress is slated to step up hearings on transportation. Here’s what we’ll be watching in national campaign to #FixTheTrustFund this week:
June 23, 10 a.m.: Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee markup of a fiscal 2016 transportation spending measure. (Listen live)
June 24, 9:30 a.m.: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to mark up the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy, or DRIVE, Act. (Info) What to watch for: With the current strong bipartisan consensus, we expect the mark-up to go smoothly. That action will put pressure on the other authorizing committees and the Senate Finance Committee to secure their pieces of the bill before the July 31 legislative deadline. The Senate the Finance Committee will hold a hearing on private sector investment and public-private partnerships with the former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels and current Colorado DOT chief Shailen Bhatt. Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) is expected to highlight his new bipartisan bill that would expand tax-exempt private activity bonds and create a new federal infrastructure tax credit. June 24, 2 p.m.: House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures hearing on the “taxation of the repatriation of foreign earnings as a funding mechanism for a multiyear highway bill.” (Info) What to watch: Across the Capitol in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures will hold a hearing on the prospect of taxing U.S. corporate foreign earnings – otherwise known as repatriation – for deposit in the HTF, which the Obama Administration supports. This funding fix does not have unanimous support on either the Republican or Democratic side of the aisle, so expect some internal party disagreements on this as a solution along with some opposition from large, multinational corporations who will be on the hook to pay the tax.
June 24, 2 p.m.: House Transportation and Infrastructure Highways and Transit Subcommittee hearing on “Meeting the Transportation Needs of Rural America.” (Watch live)
June 25, 10 a.m.: Senate Finance Committee hearing on exploring ways that private financing could back infrastructure projects. (Info)
Help Us #FixTheTrustFund
1. Tell Congress that it’s time to fix the Highway Trust Fund and increase our investment into transportation before the July deadline.
2. If you’re in MD, OR, CO, TX or WI, attend a Town Hall Meeting this week and ask your Member of Congress about their ideas on how to fix the Highway Trust Fund.
| 6/24/2015 | Rep. Harris (R-MD-1) | This meeting is conducted by telephone.For more information on this meeting, follow this link: vekeo.com/event/congressman-andy-harris-06242015/?awesm=vekeo.buzz_t1u/ | Starts at 6:45 pm |
| 6/27/2015 | Sen. Wyden (D-OR) | Hood River Valley Adult Center2010 Sterling Dr.Hood River, OR 97031 | Starts at 1:00 pm |
| 6/27/2015 | Rep. Perlmutter (D-CO-7) | Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage4900 Kipling St.Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 | Starts at 10:00 am |
| 6/27/2015 | Rep. Sessions (R-TX-32) | Richland CollegeGarland Campus675 West Walnut StreetGarland, TX 75040-5023This meeting requires an RSVP. Register online.For more information on this meeting, follow this link: sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/june-town-hall | Starts at 11:00 am |
| 06/28/2015 | Rep. Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5th ) | Brookfield Public Safety Building 2100 North Calhoun Road Brookfield, WI 53005For more information on this meeting, follow this link: sensenbrenner.house.gov/contact/ |
Starts at 7:00 pm |
3. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter accounts for the most up-to-date news and information surrounding the HTF debate.
4. Download the “Save America’s Infrastructure” phone app, and email or call your Senators and Representative, directly from your phone. It’s available on Android and Apple .