U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Transportation Funding Bill
Charleston, W.Va. (June 25, 2015) – Today, the West Virginia Trucking Association (WVTA) applauds United States Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) for her vigorous efforts to improve highway safety and for her tireless advocacy on behalf of the state’s trucking industry.
The WVTA also recognizes the actions of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee for taking vital steps necessary to improve highway safety and infrastructure, not only in West Virginia, but the entire country, by passing the FY2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations bill.
“On behalf of our members, I want to thank Senator Capito for her hard work in the Senate, for working closely with our members and for her continued dedication to West Virginia’s trucking industry. Senator Capito stood firm today and voted against a poison pill amendment that wouldn’t have allowed for the use of longer tandem trailers. She’s a champion for our industry and our people,” said Jan Vineyard, president of the WVTA. “We also want to thank all the members of the Appropriations Committee who voted to move this transportation funding bill forward. Our roadways will be safer and our environment cleaner because of this important legislation. We urge passage by the full Senate.”
The bill that passed today includes continued suspension and robust study of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) hours-of-service restart restrictions and increases in tandem trailer length. Together, these items will improve highway safety by reducing truck traffic and keeping trucks off the road during peak travel times, thus easing congestion. The modest increase in trailer length will decrease the number of truck trips required annually to deliver the goods that we utilize in our everyday lives, which in turn lowers truck exhaust output into the environment.
The T-HUD appropriations bill provides, among other programs, more than $40 billion in funding to the Highway Trust Fund, $825 million to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, $572 million to the FMCSA and $500 million in national infrastructure investment grants.
The bill, which was approved by a 20-10 vote, works within the framework of the Budget Control Act, while providing funding for transportation and infrastructure priorities and initiatives to increase safety and efficiency within the trucking industry. The bill will now be considered by the full Senate at a future date.
