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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E743]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS AVAILABILITY ACT
______
HON. JOHN GARAMENDI
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I am proud to introduce the
``Transportation Emergency Relief Funds Availability Act'' to safeguard
federal funding for disaster-recovery projects.
I want to thank my colleagues from California's Congressional
delegation for their support: Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA2),
Mike Thompson (D-CA5), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA11), Barbara Lee (D-CA13),
Jackie Speier (D-CA14), Eric Swalwell (D-CA15), Ro Khanna (D-CA17),
Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA 18), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA 19), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA20),
Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA24), Katie Hill (D-CA25), Julia Brownley (D-
CA26), Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA32), Norma J. Torres (D-CA35), Raul
Ruiz (D-CA36), Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA39), Alan S. Lowenthal
(D-CA47), Harley Rouda (D-CA48), and Scott H. Peters (D-CA52).
Our legislation would prevent the Trump administration from targeting
disaster-recovery funding for highway and transportation projects
across our state. In January 31, 2019, the Federal Highway
Administration denied the California Department of Transportation's
(Caltrans) request for 1-year extensions for 66 out of 73 projects
awarded ``emergency relief'' funding from the U.S. Department of
Transportation. During previous administrations, such 1-year extensions
were routinely granted under the Federal Highway Administration's and
Federal Transit Administration's emergency relief programs.
Californians are facing increasingly frequent and severe floods and
wildfires due to climate change. They deserve nothing less than the
full-throated support of their Federal Government, and that is exactly
what our bill ensures.
Current U.S. Department of Transportation regulations allow the
Federal Government to claw back ``emergency relief'' funding for
highway and public transit projects if those projects do not reach
construction within 2 fiscal years. The ``Transportation Emergency
Relief Funds Availability Act'' would repeal this regulatory deadline
and provide up to 6 years for projects awarded these funds to advance
to construction. The new 6-year deadline would start following the date
on which a disaster was declared by the respective state's governor or
the president.
I also want to thank Caltrans, the California State Association of
Counties and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services
(CalOES) for their support of this critical legislation for our state.
Madam Speaker, I hope that any surface transportation reauthorization
bill this Congress will include the ``Transportation Emergency Relief
Funds Availability Act. ``This is a major priority for California: the
nation's most populous state and the fifth largest economy in the
world. As a member of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, I am working with my fellow California colleagues to
see this done.
____________________