[Pages S5232-S5235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE ACT
Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, I rise in support of America's
Transportation Infrastructure Act, a bill we on the Environment and
Public Works Committee passed today with broad bipartisan support.
Our bill contains the largest funding commitment in highway
authorization history. It grows our economy, enhances roads and
bridges, improves transportation safety, provides funds for necessary
projects, eliminates burdensome regulation, promotes innovation, and
invests in our Tribal lands.
Our EPW chairman said the bill would ``enhance quality of life for
the American people.'' Our ranking member believes it ``can endure the
test of time and keep up with the evolving demands of a 21st century
global economy.'' I agree with their assessments, and as a member of
EPW, I want to thank them for listening to our priorities and
collaborating with each of us.
Since joining the Senate, I have expressed my belief that divided
government presents an opportunity for us to achieve mutually
beneficial goals and shared priorities. President Trump, myself, and my
colleagues in Congress agree on the importance of investing in our
Nation's infrastructure. This bill is proof that we can work together
in a bipartisan manner on behalf of the American people.
More important to me than anything else, our bill also reflects the
needs of my great State of North Dakota. As a large, rural State built
on agriculture and natural resources, we are heavily dependent on our
extensive infrastructure to get our goods to market.
With that in mind, I reached out our stakeholders at the very
beginning of this process to glean their perspective. We received input
and comments from city, county, and State leaders all across North
Dakota, expressing their desire for a highway bill reauthorization that
works best for our State.
Their feedback and priorities are very important to me. While not all
of their requests were met, I want them to know their voices were
heard. I therefore ask unanimous consent for the letters they sent us
to be printed in the Record following my remarks. Full versions of each
of these letters can be found on my official website.
I would also like to take a moment to highlight some of the bright
spots in this legislation.
First, at $287 billion, this is the largest highway bill in history.
North Dakotans made it clear: They want a real, long-term
reauthorization that does more than the status quo and actually invests
in our Nation's roads and bridges.
Second, 90 percent of these funds will be distributed to the States
via formula. That is incredibly important to large, rural States like
North Dakota. The main point for the formula is that it is not
discretionary, so it is stable, predictable funding. We have vast
stretches of highway system that contribute greatly to our Nation's
economy and interstate commerce. Despite our low population, rural
States contribute much more to the highway
[[Page S5233]]
trust fund per capita than the rest of the country. In fact, North
Dakota contributes the second-highest amount in the country, roughly
three times more than the national average. Maintaining the current
formula ensures that our State's contribution is acknowledged and paid
back to us in a consistent, unbiased manner, giving North Dakota steady
funding and flexibility to prioritize our State's transportation needs.
Under this bill, transportation funding has increased by 27 percent,
and North Dakota will receive nearly $1.6B over the next 5 years, which
is welcome news to communities back home.
Third, America's Transportation Infrastructure Act cuts duplicative
bureaucracy and delays. For example, it establishes a 2-year goal for
completing environmental reviews, a 90-day timeline for related project
authorizations, and an accountability system for these projects. The
days of half-finished, never-ending projects must come to an end. This
bill acknowledges that. In addition, it creates incentives to lessen
carbon emissions and reduce methane and energy waste.
Lastly, this bill includes multiple provisions I have cosponsored.
The bipartisan USE-IT Act, which incentivizes carbon capture and
sequestration technology, is included in this package; as is the
Addressing Underdeveloped and Tribally Operated Streets Act, also known
as the AUTOS Act. The AUTOS Act, sponsored by my fellow North Dakota
Senator John Hoeven, would enhance the safety of roads on Indian lands
by streamlining existing federal procedures and increasing funding to
repair roads and bridges in Indian country.
These just a few of the many aspects of our bill that I support. As I
have demonstrated, this is an economically and environmentally
responsible bill. It is a win for both sides of the aisle and a win for
our country. I am grateful our committee was able to take this first
step today. I encourage my colleagues in the House to be proactive and
to avoid procrastinating until the last minute. Let's work together in
a timely fashion to deliver a significant investment for the
constituents we serve.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
North Dakota
Department of Transportation,
Bismarck, ND, February 19, 2019.
North Dakota Priorities for the Next Highway Reauthorization
Bill.
Hon. Kevin Cramer,
U.S. Senator,
Washington, DC.
We appreciate the opportunity to offer input on State
Priorities for the Next Highway Reauthorization Bill. Below
are some key points that are vital to transportation funding
in North Dakota:
Good infrastructure, including highways, is important for
North Dakota and the National Economy.
This allows us to efficiently move agricultural,
manufactured goods, and energy resources to the World
Markets.
Increases personal mobility.
Promotes safety.
Legislation must provide North Dakota a share of Federal
highway and transit formula programs at least as high as it
receives today.
Current level of fuel tax is not keeping up with current
needs.
Allows states the flexibility to efficiently plan for
projects.
Disruptive technologies (such as autonomous, hybrid, and
electric vehicles) are having an impact on the amount of
revenue generated for transportation.
Congress should continue the distribution of highway and
transit program funds by formula.
Historically, North Dakota has not been very successful
with the competitive grant programs such as TIGER and INFR.
Maintain the current Federal share of project cost--80/20
Public Private Partnerships do not work well in rural
states.
The volume of traffic in rural states is not sufficient to
attract private investments in roadway infrastructure
(Example: tolling).
Thomas K. Sorel,
Director.
Doug Burgum,
Governor.
____
Associated General Contractors
of North Dakota,
Bismarck, ND, February 22, 2019.
Hon. Kevin Cramer,
U.S. Senator,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cramer: Thank you for the opportunity to offer
input from our industry's perspective for the next Highway
Reauthorization Bill. We applaud the EPW committee for
beginning these discussions in advance of the 2020 expiration
of the current act.
A strong federal program is extremely important for a
geographically large, yet sparsely populated state like North
Dakota. We simply do not have the critical mass to fund the
transportation needs on the state/local level. The current
administration seems to favor more local participation but
we'd caution the utilization of that to areas where it is
feasible and not a detriment. Maintaining the 80/20 federal/
state split is imperative in a state like North Dakota.
Private Public Partnerships work well in higher populated
areas but they are not feasible in North Dakota. Being rural
and sparsely populated make the interest of private entities
nearly impossible.
Funding solutions for the Highway Trust Fund is long
overdue and the user fee of the federal motor fuel tax has
not generated enough revenue to fund the program for many
years. It needs to be addressed and soon. The 18.4 cent per
gallon user fee has not been adjusted since October 1, 1993.
The decline in buying power is obvious and better fuel
economy of vehicles adds to the issue. Adjusting it upward
makes sense to us. Looking at any other funding options
should also be considered. In our previous Congressional
visits, AGC of ND representatives have provided an outline of
various funding options. We'd be happy to provide them again
if interested.
With an extremely short construction season in our state,
it is imperative the ND DOT have certainty for federal
funding payments. Too many times, there have been delays in
sending the appropriations which lead to delayed bid
lettings. This is a significant issue in North Dakota. Even a
one month delay can cause huge issues in completing projects.
Those are but a few of our suggestions for the next federal
highway act. Again, we appreciate the opportunity to submit
them and are available for any subsequent deliberations.
Sincerely,
Russ Hanson,
Executive Vice President.
____
Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan
Council of Governments,
Fargo, ND, March 6, 2019.
Subject: Reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Bill
(Highway Bill).
Senator Kevin Cramer,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cramer: The Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan
Council of Governments (FM Metro COG) is very grateful for
the opportunity to share our input about the surface
transportation reauthorization bill. Metro COG serves as the
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for all
jurisdictions within the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area,
including the North Dakota jurisdictions of Cass County,
Fargo, Horace, and West Fargo, which are all in our
designated urbanized area, and Casselton, Mapleton, and
Harwood in our metropolitan planning area. In Minnesota, our
urbanized area includes Clay County, Dilworth and Moorhead,
and our metropolitan planning area includes Glyndon, Hawley,
Sabin, and Barnesville.
On behalf of the local jurisdictions, Metro COG administers
the federal transportation and transit planning funds
received by our metropolitan area and carries out the
required planning and programming activities to ensure a
continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation
planning process. Our Policy Board, made up of local elected
officials and planning commissioners, represents citizens
throughout the metropolitan area.
Our input on reauthorization of the surface transportation
bill is as follows:
Retain the Transportation Management Area population
threshold of 200,000. The Highway Bill establishes the
population threshold of 200,000 as the point when an MPO may
choose to become a Transportation Management Area (TMA). Our
metropolitan area has exceeded this threshold, and will
officially exceed it as part of the 2020 Census. Local
leaders have been looking forward to becoming a TMA and
carrying out planning efforts that will ensure we are in good
standing to meet TMA requirements when the time comes. We ask
that the threshold remain at a population of 200,000.
Retain local flexibility in the use of Highway Funds. The
FAST Act allowed our local leaders a certain amount of
flexibility in the use of Highway Funds to help update our
transit vehicle fleet, thus keeping the fleet in manageable
condition from a maintenance standpoint. This flexibility has
been seriously considered and put to good use in our
metropolitan area, and we request that this type of
flexibility be retained, and even increased in the
reauthorization bill.
____
The City of Fargo,
Fargo, ND, March 1, 2019.
Re Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill (Highway
Bill).
Senator Kevin Cramer,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cramer: I sincerely appreciate the opportunity
to weigh in on the next surface reauthorization bill. The
City of Fargo has benefitted tremendously from the current
Highway Bill and I strongly support future appropriations.
Previous allocations have allowed the City of Fargo, and the
North Dakota Department of Transportation, to construct and
maintain high quality, long lasting infrastructure projects
by allocating upwards of $10-$12 million annually. Without
these necessary funds, our citizens and businesses would be
burdened with
[[Page S5234]]
higher taxes that would undoubtedly stifle our growth.
As Fargo continues to grow and moves closer to becoming a
TMA (Transportation Management Association) long term,
sustainable funding sources will become even more important
to ensure that Fargo remains an economic engine in the Upper
Midwest. For this reason, among many others, I strongly
support the reauthorization of the next surface
transportation bill.
Sincerely,
Brenda E. Derrig, PE,
City Engineer.
____
City of Valley City,
Valley City, ND, March 4, 2019.
Hon. Kevin Cramer,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cramer: Please accept this letter as an
expression of support on behalf of the City of Valley City,
North Dakota for the reauthorization of the FAST Act. In my
role as Mayor, I can attest to the fact that infrastructure
funding in this critical piece of legislation is a key
priority for our community.
At the local level, the City of Valley City funds
transportation infrastructure projects through special
assessments and the local renew and replacement fund (R&R)
which uses sales tax and utility fees. To fund critical
infrastructure projects, voters passed a half percent sales
tax in 2007 and an additional half percent sales tax in 2010
for a total of 1 percent dedicated for infrastructure.
At the state level, legislators are currently debating a
bill commonly referred to as ``Operation Prairie Dog'' which
is designed to provide and increase in infrastructure funding
to townships, cities, and counties throughout North Dakota.
Despite significant efforts on the local and state level to
fund infrastructure needs, federal funding can often be the
determining factor as to whether or not many projects come to
fruition. Uncertainty of federal funding after the FAST Act's
expiration in 2020 would jeopardize many needed
infrastructure projects in our community and state. Many
communities, like the City of Valley City, rely on the
certainty provided by an entirely funded and planned federal
highway bill. A reauthorization would mean more projects in
North Dakota and the City of Valley City can proceed, much
like those successfully funded by the current FAST Act and
other authorizations preceding it.
Our community has seen success through critical programs
such as the Transportation Alternatives (TA) program and the
Urban Grant Program (UGP), and we urge you to consider those
programs favorably throughout the legislative process.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact me via telephone at (701) 845-8126 or email at
dcarlsrud@valleycity.us.
Sincerely,
Dave Carlsrud,
Mayor, City of Valley City.
____
City of Grand Forks,
Grand Forks, ND, February 27, 2019.
Re Grand Forks comments on Federal Transportation
Authorization.
Senator Kevin Cramer,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cramer: Thank you for this opportunity to
provide comment on the reauthorization of Federal Surface
Transportation bill and, particularly, your personal interest
and involvement through the Senate Environment and Public
Works Committee. We support the committee's current strategy
and timeline of reauthorization and we thank you for your
work and support.
Infrastructure needs are a national issue and we support
ongoing efforts that ensure transportation programs are
right-sized to meet the needs of all cities, particularly
those of the size and needs of North Dakota cities.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express how
very fortunate we are to have such solid partners in the
NDDOT and we continue to strive to maintain this productive
partnership that best coordinates resources from federal,
state and local partners.
Our comments will follow three key themes: 1) Continue to
deregulate and encourage further confluence of programs to
provide for effective and efficient use; 2) Continue and
expand funding and funding flexibility that best leverages
federal, state and local--as well as private Investment. 3)
Continue focus on local transit solutions that promote a
state of good repair and levels of service necessary to North
Dakota communities.
1) Continue to deregulate and encourage further confluence
of programs to provide for efficient use.
We applaud the streamlining policy changes of the current
bill, Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.
These include environmental review deregulation efforts that
reduce project costs and the consolidation of ``siloed''
programs that enables more effective flexibility.
Deregulation can go further, for example, by providing for
categorical exclusions for projects under $5M, which would
cover a significant number of projects in cities across North
Dakota.
Michael R. Brown,
Mayor.
____
City of West Fargo,
West Fargo, ND, February 27, 2019.
Re Surface Transportation Reauthorization.
Hon. Kevin Cramer,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cramer: It is with great pleasure that I write
to you to share the City of West Fargo's thoughts related to
the reauthorization of the next Highway Bill. Of course
funding to continue to support our residents and the great
amount of commerce coming out of our City is important, but
we'd like to inform you of items within the current bill that
we'd like to improve upon.
Increased Emphasis on Land Use: Planning funds are under
tremendous scrutiny by the Federal Highway Administration.
The City feels strongly that land use decisions are closely
tied to transportation and the use of Consolidated Planning
Grants (CPG) in transportation studies should reflect this.
We believe that by decreasing the focus and weight on levels
of service of roadways and increasing the focus on adjacent
land use and increased connections will result in a more
reliable transportation network.
Increased Funding Opportunities for Infrastructure
Preservation, Replacement and Maintenance: The City believes
that although growth requires extending infrastructure, it is
the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of existing infrastructure
that will burden our citizens. Increasing funding
opportunities will help strengthen our City and allow us to
thrive into the future.
Continue Accelerated Project Delivery: The FAST Act helped
streamline the environmental review process. The City
recommends that this continue and that any opportunity to
improve upon this may be explored under the reauthorization.
We thank you for your time and consideration and offer our
assistance in any way we can as your work on this Committee.
Sincerely,
Bernie L. Dardis,
President of the Board of City,
Commissioners.
____
Memorandum
Cass County Government,
West Fargo, ND, February 25, 2019.
Re FHWA Reauthorization Bill for the FAST Act.
Senator Kevin Cramer,
Washington, DC.
Senator Cramer: As the Cass County Engineer, I am writing
to request your support for the reauthorization of the FAST
Act. Across the country our counties face infrastructure
challenges every day. In North Dakota, our counties have
varying issues from traffic around key hub cities, oil
impacts, and agricultural impacts. On top of these issues, we
face aging infrastructure with deficient bridges and roads
designed to the safety standards of the 1960s. To improve our
aging roads and bridges, I support our National Association
of Counties and Association of County Engineers in these
three core areas:
Ensure that the federal highway program dedicates funds for
rural secondary infrastructure, particularly bridges.
Make the federal permitting process simpler and more
streamlined.
Ensure the long-term certainty and solvency of the Federal
Highway Trust Fund.
I have also been working with our neighboring counties
across the Red River for a critical bridge replacement
project. We have three bridges along the Red River in eastern
North Dakota/northern Minnesota have fallen into severe
disrepair, and our county will need help to procure funds for
the building new structures. Our group of counties applied
for a federal grant through the Competitive Highway Bridge
Program. I ask for your support in innovative project
delivery through project bundling and other FHWA Every Day
Counts Initiatives.
If you have questions, please call Jason Benson.
Sincerely,
Jason Benson, P.E.,
Cass County Engineer.
____
American Council of Engineering Companies of North Dakota,
Bismarck, ND, February 28, 2019.
Re Highway Bill Input Request.
Hon. Senator Kevin Cramer,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cramer: We appreciate the opportunity to
outline our industry priorities for the reauthorization of
federal surface transportation programs. We are very pleased
that your seat on the Senate Environment & Public Works
Committee gives you a strong position to advocate for our
state's needs.
As you know, in December 2015, Congress passed and the
President signed into law the Fixing America's Surface
Transportation (FAST) Act, providing five years of increased
funding to support highway and transit projects, while
including new reforms to enhance program efficiency. The
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) at both the
state and national levels strongly supported this landmark
legislation, and now urges Congress to remain focused on
adopting long-term, sustainable funding mechanisms to support
the nation's transportation needs.
ACEC North Dakota represents the consulting engineering
firms in the state by assisting members to provide better
consulting
[[Page S5235]]
engineering services for their clients while protecting the
public welfare and safeguarding the ethical standards of
consulting engineers in private practice. We strive to
cooperate with public bodies and other organizations in
matters of common interest. In addition, ACEC North Dakota
acts as a resource among our members to provide cooperative
services and support the advancement of the science and
practice of engineering.
We believe that infrastructure is the backbone of the
United States economy. A modern and efficient transportation
system is critical for protecting public health and safety,
promoting commerce, and providing mobility. It enables
manufacturers to get their products to market, farmers to get
their goods to stores, and workers to get to jobs.
Unfortunately, our nation's infrastructure remains severely
deficient and underfunded. According to the U.S. DOT,
improving the condition and performance of highways and
bridges requires $142 billion annually from all levels of
government; we currently invest approximately $105 billion.
North Dakota faces a $2.5 billion shortfall from 2018 to
2023.
____
Bismarck Mandan
Chamber <sup><up-sd-dn !='None'></sup> EDC
Hon. Senator Kevin Cramer,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cramer: Please accept this letter as an
expression of my personal support for the reauthorization of
the FAST Act.
In my role as President of the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC,
I actively advocate for probusiness policies on behalf of the
organization's more than 1,200 members. Recently, those
efforts have focused on infrastructure funding.
At the local level, voters in the City of Bismarck recently
passed a half-cent sales tax increase dedicated to arterial
roadway construction. And at the state level, legislators are
currently debating a bill dubbed ``Operation Prairie Dog''
designed to provide even more infrastructure funding to
townships, cities and counties around North Dakota.
However, there is concern among all of the aforementioned
political subdivisions regarding the uncertainty of federal
funding after the FAST Act's expiration in 2020. That's
because while we can attempt to fund projects to the best of
our ability at the local and state level, the federal match
for some projects can mean the difference between them
happening or not.
The certainty provided by an entirely funded and planned
federal highway bill means more projects in Bismarck-Mandan
can proceed. As a result, we provide badly needed
infrastructure improvements for our residents and continued
opportunity for our businesses.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact me via telephone at (701) 223-5660 or email at
britter@bmcedc.com.
Sincerely,
Brian Ritter.
____________________