WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) issued the following statement after voting against the House Majority’s proposed infrastructure package.
“I support investing in our infrastructure. But I will not support a package that fails to responsibly invest taxpayer dollars in genuine infrastructure projects.
“Of the $550 billion in new spending, only $110 billion - or 17.6% - goes to roads, bridges, and major projects generally considered to be traditional infrastructure. Much of the remaining $1 trillion are Green New Deal provisions. As such, it is hardly fair or accurate to call this an infrastructure package. Virginia’s First District - home to one of the worst traffic hotspots in the nation - deserves better.
“It is clear from this bill that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats are more interested in pushing their Green New Deal agenda than they are in investing in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. Instead, we need to focus on hard infrastructure investments, such as roads, bridges, highways, ports, and broadband. What should have been a bipartisan agreement and one focused exclusively on infrastructure has been turned into a trojan horse to pass the Democrat’s multi-trillion-dollar socialist spending reconciliation package.
“Instead, we need to focus on hard infrastructure investments and House Republicans have provided such a plan through the STARTER 2.0 Act. The STARTER 2.0 Act, would have made historic investments in “real infrastructure” as well as, reform the project hindering National Environmental Policy Act process. This is a fiscally-sound, long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill that provides historic levels of investment in America’s roads, bridges, and core infrastructure to meet the Nation’s growing transportation needs. Unlike the Democrat’s plan, the STARTER 2.0 Act prioritizes proven programs that address core infrastructure functions by improving our core system of highways and bridges, facilitating commerce, and focusing on safety and efficiency. Further, it streamlines project delivery by cutting red tape to reduce project delays and costs, putting federal dollars to work faster to improve our transportation system.”
