Graves Calls Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal a Disaster

Press Release

Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) blasted recent developments in the ongoing negotiations over major infrastructure legislation happening in Washington, calling yesterday's "bipartisan deal" a mistake and the president's subsequent veto threat a disaster.

"This supposed bipartisan infrastructure deal is a disaster," said Graves. "It's a fundamental mistake to let President Biden hold infrastructure hostage with the veto threat contingent on he and the left getting their partisan "human infrastructure' spending package. We have the president basically saying, "I get what I want, or nobody gets anything.' And if he does get his way, it will be hundreds of billions of dollars wasted on the expansion of failed social welfare programs and paying people to not work -- instead of money going to build roads and bridges.

"This "deal' ignores the first-order, project delivery problems that are the reason why the government is failing at infrastructure to begin with -- and by simply putting good money on top of bad, all it will do is increase the number of bad outcomes we already have. The STARTER Act we introduced would result in more roads and bridges being built because it addresses reforming the project delivery process."

Earlier this month, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republican leaders introduced the Surface Transportation Advanced through Reform, Technology, & Efficient Review (STARTER) Act -- long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill which prioritizes investment in America's roads, bridges, and core infrastructure to meet Louisiana's transportation needs.

Background:

When the STARTER Act was introduced, Graves said:

"America is the greatest country in the world, but there's nothing great about it taking us 20 years or more to address traffic problems or roads that our parents and grandparents were complaining about. Dumping more money into a grossly expanded definition of infrastructure just results in more wasted money, more re-reviews of reanalysis and few solutions. The STARTER Act 2.0 changes that. This legislation streamlines the way that projects are designed and built by focusing on turning dirt and making solutions happen. By cutting the fat, red tape and bureaucracy, your tax dollars can actually work for you rather than against you. This would result in a significant increase in available funding so that the issues our parents and grandparents complained about actually get fixed, and the transportation investments that our children and grandchildren need can become reality too. These principles and the benefits are in evidence across most successful enterprises -- think LEAN, Six Sigma, Top Quality Management. But here's how you'll really know that this approach is in taxpayers' best interest: Liberals will balk and deride the STARTER Act and continue to insist on all the silly abuse in their infra-free-for-all. Let's get it done."

STARTER Act provides more than $400 billion over five years -- the largest percentage increase for these programs in the last quarter-century -- for the federal highway and other transportation programs. The bill would extend the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, enacted in 2015, and would authorize federal aid for highways and transit programs expiring on September 30, 2021.

Within the STARTER Act is Graves' Building U.S. Infrastructure through Limited Delays & Efficient Reviews (BUILDER) Act, which modernizes the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to make infrastructure project reviews more efficient, reduce project costs, spur economic recovery, and rebuild America. Modernizing NEPA would help fast track Louisiana's coastal restoration projects, transportation projects and energy infrastructure priorities -- stimulating economic development and job opportunities.

Click here or above to watch Graves' explain the BUILDER Act.

Graves' bill is backed and cosponsored by the Ranking Members of multiple U.S. House committees and the Republican Leadership of the U.S. House. More about the BUILDER Act here.

Part of the STARTER Act also includes a section Graves has advocated for that would promote resilient transportation programs, increase the resiliency of highways when facing natural disasters and severe weather, and require new guidance from federal agencies to increase safety, such as evacuation routes, during a natural disaster.

The STARTER Act 2.0:

Authorizes over $400 billion over five years -- the largest percentage increase for surface transportation programs in the last quarter-century.

Prioritizes proven programs that address core infrastructure functions -- by improving our core system of highways and bridges, facilitating commerce, and focusing on safety and efficiency.
Streamlines project delivery -- by cutting red tape to reduce project delays and costs, putting federal dollars to work faster to improve our transportation system.

Meets rural America's infrastructure needs -- by investing in small and rural communities, where 71% of public road mileage runs.

Ensures flexibility for states and non-federal partners -- by giving states more decision-making authority to meet their own unique infrastructure needs.
Fosters transportation innovation and technology -- helping to improve transportation efficiency, safety, resiliency, and the environment.

Works to sustain the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) -- by recognizing that continued reliance on fuel taxes is not a long-term solution to HTF solvency.
Supports building more resilient infrastructure -- because every $1 invested in mitigation and resiliency saves $4 to $11, reduces risk, and saves lives.
Click here for the legislative text of the STARTER Act.

Click here for a section-by-section summary of the STARTER Act.##

How Louisiana benefitted from the 2015 FAST Act and Graves involvement:

In 2015, Graves was a co-author and conferee to the FAST Act's landmark legislative committee, helping to finalize negotiations, which included many provisions designed to address Louisiana's traffic problems and substantial increases in federal highway funding for Louisiana. As a co-author and conferee to the landmark legislative committee, Graves was able to secure several items from the FAST Act.

As a result, a $500 million boost came to Louisiana's federal transportation funding and the new, $1 billion annual grant program.

Under the FAST Act that Graves' co-authored, projects such as the Terrace St. Exit, Pecue Exit, I-10 widening from Highland Rd. to LA-73, LA-1 from Leeville to Golden Meadow, and I-10 improvements in Lafayette, and the designation of the Capital Region as a High Priority Corridor have become a reality.

The FAST Act also provided $100 million more in federal transportation grant funds that have resulted in the Terrace/Washington street exit reconfiguration and I-10 lane addition (Highland Road to Prairieville/Dutchtown exit). Graves spoke at the construction ceremony for the work to begin the reconfiguration of the Washington St. exit, what Graves called a game-changer and a smart fix for a stupid problem. On August 30, 2018, Graves announced the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) awarded $80,699,190 in new federal funding to Louisiana to advance the I-10 interchange at Pecue Lane.

On INFRA:

In March 2021, Graves stressed the importance of the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program at the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's hearing with Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pete Buttigieg. INFRA was made possible due to a Graves' amendment to the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which requires that projects that provide a return on investment and solve traffic problems receive priority consideration for INFRA grants.

When discussing the INFRA program and the criteria, objectives and goals put forth to advance the program, Graves said: "We Included a number of things I think were important: efficiency in transportation system, mobility, national energy security, resiliency and others. I was disheartened when I read the press release coming from Department of Transportation that indicated climate change, racial equality and environmental justice were the priorities. Those are not in the statute, yet, the statutory objectives weren't mentioned."

Graves asked Buttigieg about how under the new criteria for INFRA grants set by the current DOT, there is apparent disregard for legal requirements in exchange for unquantifiable political objectives. The key program objectives established distort, undermine, and even contradict the objectives required by law. Graves first brought the issue to Buttigieg's attention earlier in March 2021.

Louisiana has benefited from INFRA. Most recently, it was announced Louisiana Highway 1 was receiving a $135 million grant from DOT to construct approximately 8.3 miles of elevated highway from Leeville Bridge to Golden Meadow. It was the largest transportation grant awarded in the nation. Graves first brought this national energy security idea to Secretary Elaine Chao on November 2, 2017.

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