Boustany signs on to effort for infrastructure funding

U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) joined many of his colleagues in signing a letter sent on Tuesday to Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi D-CA), calling for long-term funding to upgrade U.S. roads and bridges.

“Our Louisiana economy relies on a robust and well-maintained highway infrastructure to move products to market,” Boustany said. “South Louisiana is particularly in need of certainty in highway development funding as new investments in energy infrastructure create more jobs and attract new families to our home. Congress must hold up its end of the bargain and pass a responsible highway bill to provide certainty to businesses and families who use our federal highways and bridges every day.”

In addition to Boustany, the letter was signed by a bipartisan supermajority in Congress. In the letter, the group acknowledges that the current extension of the Highway Trust Fund is set to expire on May 31 of this year, and that new legislation that creates funding for major improvement projects is needed for America’s economic future.

“We are united in the conviction that now is the time to end the cycle of short-term extensions that kick the can down the road by doing the work needed to pass a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill,” the legislators wrote. “To make this happen, we support efforts to develop a long-term sustainable revenue source for our nation’s transportation network as soon as possible. Otherwise, we will not be able to enact a transportation bill that truly meets our economic and infrastructure needs.”

The letter is also backed by numerous organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Retail Federation and the Associated General Contractors of America.