U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R- NE), chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security, urged Congress to collaborate to develop a long-term plan for rebuilding aging U.S. infrastructure, during a recent speech at a Ripon Society breakfast meeting.
Fischer said Nebraska’s lawmakers already have created a long-term plan for the state’s aging infrastructure. She said it is an example of what the entire U.S. should be doing.
“Ensuring an efficient and reliable transportation network is vital to keeping the United States globally competitive,” Fischer said. “And as these networks evolve, America’s economic growth will depend on the resilience of our intermodal transportation structure. We certainly have some work to do to maintain and update our nation’s transportation system. Although America leads in so many areas, we’re falling behind when it comes to our infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently issued a report card on America’s infrastructure, giving our roads a grade of D and our bridges a grade of C+.
“As we look to address America’s transportation challenges, we must keep in mind that nearly 95 percent of all consumers reside outside of the United States,” Fischer said. “Without adequate infrastructure, U.S. manufacturers will pay the price in delayed or missed shipments and lost market share abroad.
“Where the federal government has fallen short, states have led the way to address core infrastructure needs,” Fischer said. “Nebraska infrastructure, for example, fares better than the national average. In Nebraska, we have nearly 94,000 miles of public roads, of which 8,600 miles are major roads. According to the ASCE, only 6 percent of Nebraska’s major roads are in poor condition. I’m proud that one of my key accomplishments in the Nebraska Unicameral was to introduce and pass legislation that ensured our roads and bridges would remain adequately funded. By working with my colleagues, we were able to provide nearly $70 million in new revenue a year for 20 years for transportation in Nebraska – without raising taxes.
“I believe Congress should address the gaps in current transportation user fees,” Fischer said. “Electric cars, light rail and transit systems, and alternative-fuel vehicles do not pay into the Highway Trust Fund, yet they benefit from the use of highways and roads. Truckers, conventional car drivers and other operators subsidize transit systems and electric vehicles at the expense of our nation’s transportation system. It is time for these modes of transportation to pay some form of user fee into the trust fund. As we near the next surface-transportation reauthorization, I am hopeful that Congress will produce a long-term, reform-oriented transportation bill.”