Commentary: U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce issued this statement following his NO vote on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 22), which passed the House today:
“This bill fails to fix the overarching spending problem that is plaguing our nation’s infrastructure projects,” said Pearce. “The highway trust fund needs serious reform centered on a user-pay system. The gas tax provides nearly 90% of the money that goes to the highway trust fund, yet an increasing amount is being spent not on roads or bridges, but rather on community planning, bike paths, landscaping, and other sources that do not pay into the fund. Instead of bailing out the highway trust fund again, I believe we should prioritize the money for its original and intended purpose, to maintain our nation’s roadways and bridges. I appreciate the attempted longevity of this legislation. However, by ignoring the reforms that are necessary to fix the system, the certainty in this bill only lasts as long as the bailout Congress provides the trust fund. A true long term highway bill, that provides true certainty, is one that is fully funded and fully self-sustained.”
“Additionally, the ways that this bill pays for itself are questionable at best. The bill continues the dangerous precedent of selling off oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at an estimated price of over $85 per barrel. Continuing to flood the market with government oil will hurt New Mexico’s economy, job growth, and the state budget -- while also pushing the Reserve below its legally required threshold. I would urge the Committee to go back to the drawing board and introduce legislation that would fix the problem once and for all, instead of providing our nation with another short term patch to a long term problem.”