It’s time for Congress to act on transportation

With the first 100 days of the new administration and passage of the omnibus appropriations bill behind us, it’s time to focus on the serious transportation and infrastructure issues facing America, with big opportunities for Congress to lead on addressing our nation’s faltering infrastructure. By fostering an all-of-the-above funding approach, cutting inefficiencies and building our partnership with states for ensuring local projects are built quickly and at appropriate levels, we can help the president fulfill his $1 trillion promise to build a 21st-century system in America.

My top priority is creating an environment to build big things and sustain projects and programs that will last far behind my lifetime. America became the country it is today by having the wherewithal to build, fund and maintain legacy systems such as the railroad and transit networks, the interstate highway system, our aviation dominance, inland waterways, ports and intermodal facilities. We need to create, fund and set a regulatory structure for success, not bureaucracy, delay and neglect. We must look to leverage emerging technologies and install a regulatory structure that is prepared for the ever-changing landscape of innovation.

{mosads}We must also ensure that safety remains top-of-mind as these new technologies and policies are implemented, and I was particularly heartened to see a focus on safety included in the budget. In the final appropriations bill, we increased funding for pipeline safety, included funds for 32 new safety personnel through the Federal Railroad Administration, and directed the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to issue a final rule by Aug. 1, 2017, to require that railroads have comprehensive oil spill response plans for certain mixed freight trains carrying tank cars of crude oil — a concern that the whole Congress shares.

However, as the federal government continues to fund worthwhile improvements around the country, we need federal programs to be nimble and assist project proponents with reasonable timelines for approval, clear operating guidelines and reliable funding sources to plan and execute small projects to ones of significant magnitude. This is why I’m a proponent of a private, independent infrastructure bank so that annual appropriations are not relied upon to build transformative systems for our 21st-century needs and so mega-projects know a funding source is reliable. Additionally, states must own their role in bringing regional and local systems online, along with clearing the way for project delivery. I have a bill in the House right now that would present a model for how to accomplish this. H.R. 434, the “New Water Available To Every Reclamation State Act” (New WATER Act) would authorize a pilot project to help finance development of water resources infrastructure in reclamation states, such as California. The bill encourages private investment in systems that serve the public interest by providing low-interest, government-backed loans with a long repayment period. In order to be approved, projects must be capable of generating sustainable revenue streams, whether through user fees or other dedicated sources. It can be done, and the New WATER Act would be a great way to demonstrate that.

Lastly, to ensure a transparent process with competitive spending with state and local projects, earmarks should be a thing of the past. Congressional authorization should be done in committee where members of Congress must explain and defend the merits of a bill from the federal perspective. This would create a working relationship between Republicans and Democrats to help get bills passed, as well as a fairer process that keeps the politics out of legislating. It would also put congressional oversight and authorization where it belongs rather than having an administration — of either party — picking winners and losers across the country.

Overall, I am encouraged by the steps we have taken toward modernizing our nation’s transportation systems, and it’s time to build off of this momentum while Congress works with the administration in the coming months on comprehensive infrastructure legislation and reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. When drafting this package, I will continue to push for more leveraging of state and local governments as well as private investors, but the recent prioritization of federal dollars is a good start.

Denham is the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, and he represents California’s 10th District.

The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.