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Yesterday, members of Building America’s Future (BAF) sent a letter to Congress urging them to create a national infrastructure bank as a way to ensure that projects are chosen and funded based on merit rather than politics, BAF officials said in a prepared statement.

The letter was sent to coincide with a U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing on infrastructure investment held yesterday.

“Congress has failed to pass a six-year transportation bill and, as a result, there is no national vision as to how we will plan for the next decade and more,” BAF officials said in the letter. “The economic challenges we still face are all the more reason for us to look to the future and find new ways to create jobs, rebuild our decaying infrastructure, improve our quality of life, increase safety and keep our nation economically competitive.”

BAF is a national, bipartisan infrastructure coalition that lobbies for investments in and reform of energy systems, roads and bridges, mass transit, water and sewer systems, rail, ports, airports, levees and dams, schools and housing to create jobs, spur economic growth and promote energy independence. Founded in 2008, BAF is co-chaired by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Coalition members include governors from nine states, and numerous state representatives, city council members and mayors.