Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and members of the House’s Colorado congressional delegation introduced a bipartisan bill on Wednesday to lift the cap on funds appropriated in the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013.
Federal Highway Administration emergency relief funds currently have a cap of $100 million per state and incident. The new legislation, however, would remove that cap for the purpose of rebuilding roads and bridges.
Current estimates put the number of bridges in Colorado that have been damaged or destroyed at more than 50, and many roads that provide vital access to town and communities have been damaged, cutting off off access.
“In recent weeks, Colorado has experienced some of the worst devastation that it has ever seen. The loss of life and property have taken a toll on many, and I strongly urge Congress to act now to help rebuild the many roads and bridges – some of which were the only way to access communities – that were destroyed due to this historic flooding,” Gardner said. “I will continue to fight not only for the cap to be lifted, as has been done in the past, but also to ensure that Colorado rebuilds to be stronger and more resilient than ever. We will get through this, because we are Colorado.”
The cap was lifted following the devastation of Hurricanes Gustav, Ike, Irene and Sandy, as well as after the Missouri River basin flooding.
The Congressional Budget Office gives the legislation a score of $0, which means that it is deficit neutral, because the money has already been appropriated.