Gwinnett Daily Post - Woodall Named Conferee on Long-term Transportation Funding Bill

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By Unknown

U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., has been tapped by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan this past week to serve as one of the House of Representatives' 16 conferees on the surface transportation bill.

The House passed the multi-year Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 on Thursday by a 363-64 vote. After repeated short-term transportation funding approvals, the new act sets guaranteed funding for three years and leaves the window open for funding to be extended for an additional three years.

The Senate has its own version, known as the DRIVE Act. Members of the House and Senate, including Woodall, will now confer on a final version of transportation funding legislation that will go before both chambers for approval.

"The safety of America's roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure isn't a partisan issue, rather it is a concern for every Member of Congress irrespective of their politics," Woodall said in a statement. "Our states, communities, and job-creators need long-term certainty from a government that is effective and accountable to them, and this legislation embodies that principle.

"The big things take time, but with lots of input we have a bill that we can be proud of and a product that devolves much of the decision-making to states, and streamlines the environmental review process by eliminating duplicative regulatory mandates."

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