infrastructure bill
We got infrastructure! Now what?
On Friday, Nov. 5, Congress finally put the long-awaited Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) up for a vote. The bill passed at nearly midnight by a margin of 22 votes, the final tally coming to 228-206. President Biden urged the House to pass the infrastructure bill after weeks of negotiation within the Democratic party by saying “Send the IIJA to my desk, send Build Back Better to the Senate. Let’s build on incredible economic progress. Build on what we’ve already done. And this will...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/we-got-infrastructure-now-what
Biden team harnesses infrastructure deal for quick supply chain relief
Following Congress’ passage of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal, the White House on Tuesday announced steps to accelerate investment in ports, waterways and freight networks to help ease supply chain bottlenecks that are contributing to inflation and slower economic growth.
The action plan sets a series of short-and medium-term timelines designed to mobilize agencies and lay the foundation for implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Biden has yet to sign. The...
What would a vehicle mileage tax mean for ride-share?
Support it or oppose it, the federal excise tax on gasoline, more commonly referred to as the gas tax, isn’t getting it done.
The U.S. government hasn’t raised the federal tax rate of 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, and since 2008, policymakers have been drawing from nontransportation funds like the general fund to pay for transportation infrastructure because the gas tax simply isn’t bringing in enough money. Just last week, the Highway Trust Fund, which supports road construction and mass...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/what-would-a-vehicle-mileage-tax-mean-for-ride-share
What’s going on in Washington?
The days in Washington, DC, seem to fly by as we barrel towards the Sept. 30 expiration deadline of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Transaction has slowed to a near standstill surrounding the uncertainty of the votes of moderate Senators from purple states who are stuck between a rock and hard place politically.
House Democrats are approaching the upcoming infrastructure bill and the reconciliation legislation in a “two-tracked” approach. Both sides of the aisle have...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/whats-going-on-in-washington
House hearing witnesses argue rail more relevant to economy than ever
Against the backdrop of Congress’ plans to push through a major transportation infrastructure bill, witnesses testifying at a U.S. House hearing on Wednesday spoke about the need for public partners to invest in multimodal initiatives as a way to support the freight rail industry and its workers.
An example of public and private support for a multimodal project would be the rehabilitation of the Salmon Bay Bridge in Washington, according to Tom WIlliams, group vice president of consumer products...
https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/house-hearing-witnesses-argue-rail-more-relevant-to-economy-than-ever
Big business bullish on infrastructure in 2021
America’s big-business lobby considers the biggest priority for the new Congress and the incoming Biden administration in 2021 is to build back economic losses sustained by the COVID-19 pandemic with major infrastructure legislation.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is backing two Republican incumbent U.S. senators in Georgia who, if successful in runoff elections on Jan. 5, will allow Republicans to maintain control of the Senate. But the resulting divided legislature — Democrats maintained control...
https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/big-business-bullish-on-infrastructure-in-2021
Rail stakeholders: Tough road ahead for infrastructure bill
The multibillion-dollar infrastructure bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week, but whether it can make it through the Republican-controlled Senate to President Donald Trump’s desk is less clear.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act on a largely party-line vote of 233-188 last Wednesday, and the bill now is in the U.S. Senate.
The act includes an infrastructure component that authorizes the federal government to spend nearly $500 billion over five years...
https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/rail-stakeholders-tough-road-ahead-for-infrastructure-bill
Rail groups gear up for infrastructure bill fight
Rail groups are considering their next steps as a major, multi-billion dollar infrastructure bill becomes part of a wider trillion-dollar package that also addresses education, housing and renewable energy infrastructure.
Last week, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act, keeping in the bill’s contents some items that the freight rail industry considers...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-groups-gear-up-for-infrastructure-bill-fight