Public Works Leaders Travel to Nation’s Capital to Advocate for CSAC’s Federal Transportation Priorities
February 13, 2020
Last week, leaders from the County Engineers Association of California (CEAC) were in Washington, D.C. to discuss a number of key transportation issues with members of Congress, their staff, and Trump administration officials. Representing the association was Rick Tippett, CEAC President and Director of Transportation for Trinity County; Panos Kokkas, CEAC Vice President and Director of Public Works for Yolo County; Jim Porter, Immediate Past President of CEAC and Director of Public Works for San Mateo County; and, Patty Romo, CEAC Transportation Committee Chair and the Director of Transportation for Riverside County.
CEAC’s focus on Capitol Hill was the pending reauthorization of the nation’s surface transportation law, known as the FAST Act. During their discussions with lawmakers, the contingent promoted several legislative priorities, including the need for Congress to provide increased federal funding to local agencies to preserve and maintain roadways, as well as address rapidly decaying highways and bridges. The group also discussed legislation (HR 3193; Garamendi) that would provide states and local transportation agencies with up to six years to utilize Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Emergency Relief (ER) program funding to repair or reconstruct federal-aid routes that have been damaged as a result of a disaster.
Among others, the group met with Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), and Jared Huffman (D-CA), all senior members of the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, the panel with jurisdiction over surface transportation issues. CEAC leaders also met with staff to the other six members of the California congressional delegation who serve on the T&I Committee, as well as with staff to Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA).
At the agency level, CEAC met with top officials from FHWA, as well as with representatives from FHWA’s Office of Federal Lands Highway. The group discussed a number of issues, including ER time extensions, the pending release of FHWA’s final rule governing the FAST Act’s Program for Eliminating Duplication of Environmental Reviews, and opportunities for enhancing local and federal collaboration to improve local transportation systems serving or within federal lands.
Looking ahead, congressional leaders are expected to continue their efforts aimed at advancing infrastructure legislation, including a long-term surface transportation bill. In the House, Democratic leaders recently released a broad infrastructure framework document, which includes, among other things, principles for a multi-year FAST Act reauthorization package. The T&I Committee is expected to release the text of a draft highway and transit bill in the coming weeks, with committee action to follow shortly thereafter.
Across Capitol Hill, the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee’s $287 billion bipartisan highway reauthorization legislation (S 2302) could be brought to the floor in the near future, though the Finance Committee is still examining options for how to pay for the proposed new spending. It should be noted that finding consensus on the financing component of FAST Act reauthorization continues to be elusive, with partisan politics threatening to derail the reauthorization talks. In the absence of a new bill being in place by October 1, lawmakers will need to approve an extension of current law in order to keep highway funds flowing to states.