House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Passes American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act Backed by Job Creators

Today, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act, legislation that includes several pro-growth reforms aimed at removing barriers to long-term economic growth and job creation.   As Chairman John Mica (R-FL) explained, the infrastructure portion of the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act reforms and streamlines federal programs, cuts red tape in the project approval process, increases states flexibility in determining their most critical transportation needs, and encourages private sector participation in financing and rebuilding our infrastructure. (See more: here).  The bill contains no earmarks an important departure from years past when members of both parties stuffed billions in wasteful spending into transportation bills – and does not rely on more of President Obamas wasteful stimulus spending schemes that have made our economy worse. 

The American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act directs funding to the most high-priority infrastructure projects that will have a direct impact on the economy and help create jobs, and has the support of several labor organizations and job creators:

• Improving our highways, bridges and tunnels and relieving congestion on the roadways will get Americans back to work immediately. Additionally, improving the permitting process will help reduce the bureaucratic burden that often delays infrastructure projects for years and unnecessarily increases construction costs. (National Association of Manufacturers)

• We urge members of Congress to work quickly on this critical issue affecting U.S. job growth and competitiveness. Our neglected transportation system has created bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the supply chain that stifle U.S. companies ability to grow and create jobs that are so badly needed in todays economy.The sooner a transportation bill can be passed the sooner Americans can be put back to work. (National Retail Federation)

• By addressing delays compounded by the effects of bureaucratic red tape, the bill helps to streamline the many obstacles transportation projects face from concept to completion. This is a major breakthrough in helping speed up the process of improving and increasing transportation capacity. The surface transportation reauthorization now moving in the House and Senate is the jobs bill for which Congress has been searching, said NSSGA Chairman of the Board David Thomey, executive vice president, Maryland Materials, Inc., North East, Md. (National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association)

• AEM believes the long-awaited legislation would point the way to job creation, desperately needed infrastructure improvements, and greater national and international competitiveness for all domestic businesses. Our manufacturers believe H.R. 7 is one of the most important pieces of legislation before Congress this session for job growth and for our economic well-being. (Association of Equipment Manufacturers)

• Legislation being proposed by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica will cut regulatory delays and boost employmentIn particular, the legislation will significantly accelerate transportation improvements across the country by cutting the needless red tape and regulatory redundancies that have forced projects to languish for years awaiting federal approval to move forward. (Associated General Contractors of America)

• Its proposals to consolidate or eliminate duplicative programs, reduce bureaucratic red tape to help speed the delivery of transportation improvements, expand the use of innovative finance and public-private partnerships, and eliminate earmarks will help to restore the publics trust in the value of federal transportation investment. (American Road & Transportation Builders Association)

The House Natural Resources Committee has already passed portions of the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act that will remove barriers to American energy production to lower gas prices and help create jobs, and the House Ways & Means Committee will continue work on the bill today. Learn more and follow the progress of the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act at: speaker.gov/energy.