T&I Committee to mark up surface transportation bill

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) has scheduled a full committee markup meeting June 17 for the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation Act (INVEST) H.R. 7095, committee staff announced late last week.

The bill calls for $494 billion over five years to make "transformative investments" in surface and rail transportation, according to a summary of the legislation. It would provide $411 billion over five years out of the Highway Trust Fund for highway, transit, safety and research programs, a 46 percent increase over current spending levels. About $105 billion would be carved out for transit programs under the Federal Transit Administration and $60 billion for commuter rail, Amtrak and other high-performance rail programs.

Last week, American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Chair Nuria Fernandez and President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Skoutelas sent a letter to T&I Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-Mo.) in support of the bill.

"The bill recognizes the immediate need for public transit agencies to continue to provide essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic and support our nation's economic recovery," the APTA letter states.

T&I Committee Republicans were not included in developing the legislation and are expected to oppose the bill, APTA officials noted in a legislative update to their membership.