Rep. McDonald Rivet Helps Pass Bipartisan Funding for Roads and Bridges Through Committee

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) released the following statement after passing the bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill through the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 

“When the roads people drive on every day are falling apart, it sends a message that the government isn’t working for them. We need to invest in our infrastructure and transportation systems so people and goods can get where they need to go quickly and safely.  

“Through serious, bipartisan work, we are bringing home real results to communities in mid-Michigan and across the country. From investing more than ever in our nation’s bridges to cutting red tape to build faster, this bill will make a big difference in people’s everyday lives.

“I’m especially excited that we’re giving more of a voice to local governments by helping them directly access federal dollars to fix crumbling roads, with billions of dollars in new funding to repair local bridges. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get it signed into law.”

The Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (BUILD America 250) Act provides federal funding for five years for America’s transportation systems and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, transit, rail, and highway and motor carrier safety programs. 

Congresswoman McDonald Rivet secured several key provisions in the final text of the BUILD America 250 Act, including…

• Substantial portions of the Congresswoman’s bipartisan Bridges And Safety Infrastructure for Community Success (BASICS) Act.
  • New funding of $9 billion per year to repair bridges nationwide, with 25% set aside for locally-owned bridges.
  • Increases to the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, which provides flexible funding to states, counties, and towns to maintain federal transportation infrastructure. 
  • Renewal of the Safe Streets for All program to prevent roadway fatalities, with an increased focus on local and rural communities.
• New funding for national surface transportation to support lasting infrastructure, along with new pathways for local communities to access these resources quickly.
• Permitting and process reforms to cut red tape and speed up projects.