Congress
will undoubtedly come up with a short term patch to end the impending crisis
when federal highway trust fund spending authority ends October 29. There is
still no long term solution in sight, however, and both the Senate’s three year
bill passed there July 30 and the House Transportation and Infrastructure
version slated for markup today fall far short of the customary six year authorization
legislation which would enable state and local governments to plan rationally
for infrastructure maintenance, repair, replacement and growth. Gaping revenue
shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund loom just over the horizon, and neither
the House nor the Senate version contemplates funding beyond the next three
years. Furthermore, both proposed measures are about $30 billion under the
projected three year needs.
No
Congressman or Senator up for reelection is willing to propose increased motor
fuel taxes, and there is no viable source of alternative or supplemental revenue
on the table to fill that gap, much less provide any dollars at all for years
four, five and six. The House bill being marked up today provides for blocking
all funding in 2019 through 2021 unless Ways and Means can come up with an
additional $40 billion in those years.
The
House committee markup bill allocates $261 billion for highway construction,
$55 billion for public transit, and $9 billion for highway safety improvements
over the six year authorization period totaling $325 billion. The Senate
version passed earlier is $25 billion richer, for a total of $350 billion.
Neither bill, however, comes the least bit close to indicating where all that
cash will come from. So, next week’s punting of this problem into the 2016
legislative sessions will be followed by a “hail Mary” pass play which could
fall halfway short of the goal line for America’s roads, bridges, rails and
waterways.
