Senate EPW Leaders Call for FAST Act Rescission Repeal

Industry News / Infrastructure Funding

June 17, 2019

Senate EPW Leaders Call for FAST Act Rescission Repeal

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair John Barrasso (R-WY) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE) joined the call to repeal the rescission of $7.6 billion in federal highway program funding on July 1, 2020.  ACEC has been working with AASHTO and dozens of other transportation stakeholders to eliminate the rescission in the context of any upcoming spending or budget deal.

Section 1438 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act rescinds unobligated Federal-aid program contract authority, wiping out remaining contract authority available to states in the programs subject to the rescission and significantly reducing the budget baseline for surface transportation programs beginning in fiscal year 2021.

“If it stands, this rescission will impact every state’s ability to plan, build and repair needed roads and bridges that are vital to American communities,” Sen. Barrasso and Sen. Carper wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “Failure to address this rescission will cost jobs and needlessly slow our economy.”

The bipartisan leadership of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure sent a similar letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) last month.

To read the Senate letter, click here.

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