Highway Trust Fund Reform Act

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx
Congressional Record: 114th Congress
July 23, 2015

(Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, last week the House passed legislation that would fund the Nation's highway and transit programs through December 18.

Transportation and infrastructure are key components of economic development efforts in North Carolina, and this fiscally responsible bill keeps important road and bridge projects going in the short term while discussions continue on a longer term bill.

Earlier this year I introduced legislation to help the Federal Government responsibly manage taxpayer money and stretch the limited funds available to the highway trust fund by exempting it from the Davis-Bacon Act's outdated, wasteful labor requirements for Federal-aid highway and public transportation projects.

The Davis-Bacon Act was passed in 1931 and requires Federal contractors and subcontractors to pay the local prevailing wage for construction projects on which the Federal Government is a party.

For decades, it has been driving up the cost of Federal highway projects by mandating artificially high wages. It is time to get America back on track by spending wisely, not carelessly.