{"id":6286,"date":"2014-05-12T13:30:20","date_gmt":"2014-05-12T18:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bahrns.com\/blog\/?p=6286"},"modified":"2023-11-14T21:17:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T03:17:45","slug":"transportation-302-billion-bill-considered-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bahrns.com\/blog\/material-handling\/transportation-302-billion-bill-considered-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"New $302 Billion Transportation Bill to Be Considered by Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"US<\/a>
US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Congress is expected to consider a new $302 billion transportation bill that was submitted by US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.<\/p>\n

The mammoth, four-year bill was dubbed GROW AMERICA, an acronym for “Generating Renewal, Opportunity and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and \u00a0Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America.”<\/p>\n

It is being submitted ahead of the expiration of the current transportation bill, MAP-21, which is set to expire at the end of September. If the current bill expires before a new bill is passed, it could put at risk the resources of the Highway Trust Fund, which is the leading source of federal transportation funding.<\/p>\n

Last month, former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was skeptical <\/a>that Congress would be able to pass the transportation bill, given the political polarity in the House and Senate right now.<\/p>\n

Inaction Could Be Catastrophic<\/strong><\/p>\n

But Foxx said Congress needed to take action quickly, otherwise the nation’s transportation infrastructure could be at risk.<\/p>\n

“Failing to act before the Highway Trust Fund runs out is unacceptable and unaffordable,” Foxx said. “This proposal offers the kind of job creation and certainty that the American people want and deserve. I have been pleased to see that members of both parties are already working together to solve these challenges, and I look forward to continuing our discussion and to supporting and building on the good work that’s already been done.”<\/p>\n

$87 Billion Higher than Current Bill<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Obama administration’s bill calls for part of its funding to come from a one-time $150 billion transition revenue from pro-growth business tax reform, a provision that many pro-business members of Congress may have trouble embracing.<\/p>\n

Other components of the bill — which has been dubbed by the White House as the “Vision for the 21st Century Infrastructure” Act — include:<\/p>\n