Hatch: Highway Deal a “Watershed Moment” for Utah Commuters, Businesses
Utah Senator: “We’ve heard time and again that a long-term highway bill would only be possible if we included a big tax increase. Yet we’ve been able to defy the odds and provide much-needed funding for America’s bridges, highways, and roads for the next five years.”
WASHINGTON –Today, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) lauded congressional efforts in producing a final Conference Report for the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, bipartisan legislation to fund America’s highway and transit programs for five full years without raising taxes or adding to the deficit.
“Finally, Congress is making significant headway toward implementing the longest highway reauthorization bill in more than 15 years,” said Hatch in a speech on the Senate floor. “We’ve heard time and again that a long-term highway bill would only be possible if we included a big tax increase. Yet we’ve been able to defy the odds and provide much-needed funding for America’s bridges, highways, and roads for the next five years. This marks a watershed moment for our transportation community, who will now have the security and stability they need to plan, implement, and complete critical infrastructure projects.
“While we’ve crossed a major hurdle today our job is not yet over,” Hatch continued. “I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to complete our work and ensure a strong multi-year highway bill is signed into law this year.”
Senator Hatch proposed two amendments that will greatly benefit Utah, and have been included in the underlying bill. More background and quotes from Utah supporters follow.
...
