Elam op-ed highlights bipartisan push for highway bill ahead of T&I markup
As the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee prepares to mark up the BUILD America 250 Act on May 21, NAPA Vice President of Government Affairs Nile Elam is highlighting the stakes of passing a long-term surface transportation bill in a new op-ed published Tuesday.
In “A $580 billion reason why bipartisanship still works,” Elam points to the bipartisan leadership behind the proposal and the need for long-term infrastructure certainty.
“The roads that move goods to market, connect communities to opportunity, and get workers home safely are party-neutral,” Elam wrote in The Washington Times. “So too is our shared commitment to keeping America moving.”
The BUILD America 250 Act, introduced by a bipartisan coalition led by T&I Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), would invest roughly $580 billion into the nation’s surface transportation network over five years.
The op-ed comes at a critical moment for reauthorization efforts, with the current surface transportation law set to expire Sept. 30.
“The T&I Committee has shown the nation what’s possible when leaders choose collaboration,” Elam wrote. “Now the full House, Senate and White House must match that example and deliver the long-term certainty, modernized network, and reliable infrastructure that Americans deserve.”
Alongside the op-ed, NAPA issued a formal statement on the legislation, sent a letter to lawmakers, and is coordinating with coalition partners and industry stakeholders ahead of committee markup.
