Members of Congress Call for Long-Term Fix to Highway Trust Fund

June 12, 2017

The Honorable Kevin Brady
Chairman
Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Richard Neal
Ranking Member
Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Neal:

As the Committee on Ways and Means continues to work toward a much-needed update of the U.S. tax code, you have an opportunity to fix the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). A long-term solution to the HTF structural revenue deficit would promote increased transportation infrastructure investment and meaningful economic growth in every state.

While recent laws authorizing the federal surface transportation programs have greatly improved the effectiveness and efficiency of these programs, Congress has relied on general fund transfers and other offsets from federal resources unrelated to the surface transportation programs since 2008. Without resolving the issues facing the HTF prior to the expiration of the FAST Act in 2020, Congress will be required to either pass more short-term stopgap measures or provide additional offsets to support a multi-year bill.

A safe, modem, and efficient transportation network is critical to the economic success of this country. It allows businesses to move their products across the country while facilitating access to domestic markets and suppliers, which makes it more cost-effective for companies to manufacture goods in the United States. Simply put, if states are unable to rely on timely reimbursements from the HTF for work performed, projects will be halted, improvements to road safety and congestion relief will be jeopardized, and America’s infrastructure will fall further behind the rest of the world. This would put our businesses — and the American worker — at a significant disadvantage in the competitive global economy.

Over the past 30 years, all HTF revenue enhancements have been included in larger tax and deficit reduction packages. Any HTF solution should entail a long-term, dedicated, user-based revenue stream that can support the transportation infrastructure investment supported by President Trump and Members of Congress from both parties.

As the Committee on Ways and Means continues to pursue tax reform, we urge you to include a long-term solution for the HTF and we stand ready to work in partnership to reach this critical goal. Not only do our roads, bridges, and public transportation facilities depend on a positive, long-term solution, but the American economy does as well.

Sincerely,

Sam Graves
Chairman
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit

Eleanor Holmes Norton
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit

Rodney Davis
Member of Congress

Bonnie Watson Coleman
Member of Congress

Doug LaMalfa
Member of Congress

Eddie Bernice Johnson
Member of Congress

Frank Lobiondo
Member of Congress

Richard Nolan
Member of Congress

Thomas J. Rooney
Member of Congress

Jared Huffman
Member of Congress

Rick Crawford
Member of Congress

Kyrsten Sinema
Member of Congress

Rob Woodall
Member of Congress

John Garamendi
Member of Congress

Ann Wagner
Member of Congress

Jamie Raskin
Member of Congress

David G. Valadao
Member of Congress

David Price
Member of Congress

Mike Bost
Member of Congress

Mike Doyle
Member of Congress

Jeff Denham
Member of Congress

Tim Ryan
Member of Congress

John Rutherford
Member of Congress

Seth Moulton
Member of Congress

Kay Granger
Member of Congress

Julia Brownley
Member of Congress

Adam Kinzinger
Member of Congress

John Delaney
Member of Congress

Lou Barletta
Member of Congress

Kurt Schrader
Member of Congress

Kevin Cramer
Member of Congress

Jackie Speier
Member of Congress

Mark E. Amodei
Member of Congress

Anna G. Eshoo
Member of Congress

Bruce Westerman
Member of Congress

Andre Carson
Member of Congress

Charles W. Dent
Member of Congress

Jim Costa
Member of Congress

Daniel Donovan
Member of Congress

Michael Capuano
Member of Congress

Todd Rokita
Member of Congress

James Langevin
Member of Congress

Randy Hultgren
Member of Congress

Eric Swalwell
Member of Congress

Blake Farenthold
Member of Congress

Grace Napolitano
Member of Congress

Billy Long
Member of Congress

Collin Peterson
Member of Congress

David B. McKinley
Member of Congress

Jared Polis
Member of Congress

Steve Stivers
Member of Congress

Donald M. Payne
Member of Congress

John Katko
Member of Congress

Dwight Evans
Member of Congress

Garret Graves
Member of Congress

Niki Tsongas
Member of Congress

French Hill
Member of Congress

Gwen Moore
Member of Congress

Randy Weber
Member of Congress

Cedric Richmond
Member of Congress

Blaine Luetkemeyer
Member of Congress

Brenda Lawrence
Member of Congress

Ryan Costello
Member of Congress

Elizabeth Esty
Member of Congress

Tom MacArthur
Member of Congress

Matt Cartwright
Member of Congress

Ted S. Yoho, DVM
Member of Congress

Dina Titus
Member of Congress

Paul Mitchell
Member of Congress

Wm. Lacy Clay
Member of Congress

Gregg Harper
Member of Congress

John Sarbanes
Member of Congress

Susan W. Brooks
Member of Congress

Donald Norcross
Member of Congress

Rob Wittman
Member of Congress

Al Lawson
Member of Congress

Ralph Abraham, M.D.
Member of Congress

G. K. Butterfield
Member of Congress

Mark Sanford
Member of Congress

Katherine Clark
Member of Congress

Bob Gibbs
Member of Congress

Peter Welch
Member of Congress

David Rouzer
Member of Congress

Mark Pocan
Member of Congress

Luke Messer
Member of Congress

Don Beyer
Member of Congress

John J. Duncan
Member of Congress

Joyce Beatty
Member of Congress

David P. Joyce
Member of Congress

J. Luis Correa
Member of Congress

Peter King
Member of Congress

Jimmy Panetta
Member of Congress

Mario Diaz-Balart
Member of Congress

Emanuel Cleaver
Member of Congress

Elise Stefanik
Member of Congress

Ted W. Lieu
Member of Congress

Andy Barr
Member of Congress

David Cicilline
Member of Congress

Jack Bergman
Member of Congress

William R. Keating
Member of Congress

Don Young
Member of Congress

John Yarmuth
Member of Congress

Chris Collins
Member of Congress

Norma Torres
Member of Congress

Darin LaHood
Member of Congress

Nanette Diaz Barragan
Member of Congress

Mark Meadows
Member of Congress

Bobby Rush
Member of Congress

Frank Lucas
Member of Congress

Stephen Lynch
Member of Congress

Trent Kelly
Member of Congress

Dan Lipinski
Member of Congress

Mike Gallagher
Member of Congress

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress

Fred Upton
Member of Congress

Jerrold Nadler
Member of Congress

Rick Allen
Member of Congress

Alan Lowenthal
Member of Congress

Bill Johnson
Member of Congress

Suzanne Bonamici
Member of Congress

Mike Simpson
Member of Congress

Colleen Hanabusa
Member of Congress

Steve Knight
Member of Congress

Jan Schakowsky
Member of Congress

Steven Palazzo
Member of Congress

Mark DeSaulnier
Member of Congress

John Faso
Member of Congress

Doris Matsui
Member of Congress

Claudia Tenney
Member of Congress

Cheri Bustos
Member of Congress

Rob Bishop
Member of Congress

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

Dan Newhouse
Member of Congress

Bill Foster
Member of Congress

Michael T. McCaul
Member of Congress

Dave Loebsack
Member of Congress

Jaime Herrera Beutler
Member of Congress

Brendan F. Boyle
Member of Congress

Don Bacon
Member of Congress

Robin L. Kelly
Member of Congress

Evan Jenkins
Member of Congress

Carol Shea-Porter
Member of Congress

Jason Lewis
Member of Congress

Gregory Meeks
Member of Congress

Duncan Hunter
Member of Congress

Rick Larsen
Member of Congress

Ted Budd
Member of Congress

Shelia Jackson Lee
Member of Congress

Tom Cole
Member of Congress

Lois Frankel
Member of Congress

Vicky Hartzler
Member of Congress

Frederica S. Wilson
Member of Congress

Larry Bucshon
Member of Congress

Hank Johnson
Member of Congress

Michael R. Turner
Member of Congress

Luis V. Gutierrez
Member of Congress

Brian Mast
Member of Congress

Adriano Espaillat
Member of Congress

Drew Ferguson
Member of Congress

Robert A. Brady
Member of Congress

Tom Emmer
Member of Congress

Alcee L. Hastings
Member of Congress

Glenn Grothman
Member of Congress

Michelle Lujan Grisham
Member of Congress

Lee Zeldin
Member of Congress

Sean Patrick Maloney
Member of Congress

Lloyd Smucker
Member of Congress

Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress

Robert Pittenger
Member of Congress

Dan Kildee
Member of Congress

Barbara Comstock
Member of Congress

Albio Sires
Member of Congress

Brian Babin
Member of Congress

Tom O'Halleran
Member of Congress

Brett Guthrie
Member of Congress

Jim Himes
Member of Congress

Tom Marino
Member of Congress

Gerald E. Connolly
Member of Congress

Jodey Arrington
Member of Congress

Denny Heck
Member of Congress

Brian Fitzpatrick
Member of Congress

Tim Walz
Member of Congress

Paul Cook
Member of Congress

Rosa DeLauro
Member of Congress

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Member of Congress

Mike Quigley
Member of Congress

Leonard Lance
Member of Congress

Alma S. Adams
Member of Congress

Steve Russell
Member of Congress

Jacky Rosen
Member of Congress

Mimi Walters
Member of Congress

Lucille Roybal-Allard
Member of Congress

David Young
Member of Congress

Scott Peters
Member of Congress

Mo Brooks
Member of Congress

Filemon Vela
Member of Congress

Mike Coffman
Member of Congress

Ann McLane Kuster
Member of Congress

Darren Soto
Member of Congress

Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress

Raja Krishnamoorthi
Member of Congress

Sanford D. Bishop
Member of Congress

Lisa Blunt Rochester
Member of Congress

Kathleen Rice
Member of Congress

Carolyn B. Maloney
Member of Congress

Bennie G. Thompson
Member of Congress

Elijah Cummings
Member of Congress

Marcy Kaptur
Member of Congress

Derek Kilmer
Member of Congress

Bobby Scott
Member of Congress

José E. Serrano
Member of Congress

Nydia Velazquez
Member of Congress

Earl L. 'Buddy' Carter
Member of Congress

Joseph P. Kennedy
Member of Congress

Glenn 'GT' Thompson
Member of Congress

Anthony Brown
Member of Congress

Trent Franks
Member of Congress

Yvette D. Clarke
Member of Congress

Chuck Fleischmann
Member of Congress

Tulsi Gabbard
Member of Congress

Chris Stewart
Member of Congress

John Conyers
Member of Congress

David Trott
Member of Congress

Tony Cárdenas
Member of Congress

Francis Rooney
Member of Congress

Bradley S. Schneider
Member of Congress

Steve Womack
Member of Congress

Adam B. Schiff
Member of Congress

Mia Love
Member of Congress

Zoe Lofgren
Member of Congress

Steve Chabot
Member of Congress

Pramila Jayapal
Member of Congress

Markwayne Mullin
Member of Congress

Debbie Dingell
Member of Congress

Bill Flores
Member of Congress

Stephanie Murphy
Member of Congress

John Shimkus
Member of Congress

A. Donald McEachin
Member of Congress

Greg Walden
Member of Congress

Ben Ray Luján
Member of Congress

Tim Murphy
Member of Congress

Raúl M. Grijalva
Member of Congress

David P. Roe, M.D.
Member of Congress

Adam Smith
Member of Congress

David Kustoff
Member of Congress

Marc Veasey
Member of Congress

Bill Huizenga
Member of Congress

Jim Cooper
Member of Congress

Alex Mooney
Member of Congress

Ami Bera
Member of Congress

Louie Gohmert
Member of Congress