Yoho Statement on Transportation Bill
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ted S. Yoho (R-FL-03) voted against H.R. 22 – Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015. This bill is a multi-year surface transportation bill to reauthorize and reform federal highway, transit, and highway safety programs. Congressman Yoho issued the following statement in response to:
“I am in favor of supporting a bill that focuses on repairing and improving our bridges, roads, the transportation system as a whole and the everyday lives of Americans across the country. By sticking to that main objective, we will strengthen our economy and make us more competitive in the global economy. We can all agree that our nation’s transportation infrastructure is crumbling and in need of major repairs. Unfortunately, the bill before us today still continues the practice of using the Highway Trust Fund for projects that are not related to the user fees that go into the fund.
“We need a bill that purely addresses surface transportation, not one that diverts money for things like historical preservation and landscaping. With a nation soon to be over 20 trillion dollars in debt, we need to prioritize funding and put tax dollars towards our critical needs. I offered an amendment that would have not allowed funding for new non-motorized trails and paths. This would have saved $154 million dollars while maintaining all existing trails and paths. We need to keep our federal spending focused and cut spending on non-essential items.
“Finally, the bill voted on today has other things added to it that have nothing to do with the original bill; most notably the attachment of the Export Import bank into this bill. What does Export-Import bank have to do with a surface transportation bill? Nothing. I also have a hard time supporting a bill - which has been plagued by short-term extensions in the past – that is only funded for three of the six years of its life. This is a major priority for the country and should be funded fully.
“The health of our nation’s infrastructure is vital to the safety of all Americans, vital to our economy, our global competitiveness, and making our country strong. I believe in rebuilding America. This bill should focus just on that and nothing else. ”
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Congressman Ted Yoho serves on the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Committees. He represents North Florida’s 3rd Congressional District