Senator Capito on Transportation Reauthorization: Flexibility for States

Guiding Principles for Transportation Reauthorization

• 🎯 The upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill aims to improve the movement of people and goods, connecting communities and supporting economic opportunities.
• 💡 The first principle is to enhance the safety and reliability of the transportation network by optimizing federal funding and eliminating duplicative programs.
• 🔑 A key focus is to increase funding for highway formula programs, which states rely on and have a proven track record of success.

Reforming Federal Programs and Policies

• 🛠️ Federal requirements often create red tape, increasing costs and slowing down project completion.
• 🚀 The goal is to make meaningful improvements to planning and procurement procedures, environmental review processes, and grant/loan requirements to deliver benefits faster.
• ✅ Modernizing these requirements will create certainty for project partners and ensure public benefits are realized quickly.

Addressing Diverse State Needs

• ⛰️ Different states have unique transportation needs, and a one-size-fits-all approach from Washington is not effective.
• 🧩 The legislation should support common goals while recognizing the different needs of individual states by avoiding top-down mandates.
• 🤝 Giving states flexibility to address their specific improvements is crucial for successful reauthorization.

Collaboration and Future Legislation

• 🗓️ Collaboration with Senate colleagues, stakeholders, and the administration is essential to complete the bill before the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expires in September 2026.
• 💬 The hearing with Secretary Duffy is the first of a two-part series to guide the development of the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.
• 📈 The Department of Transportation's technical assistance and support will be critical throughout this process.