On Jan. 10, the Problem Solvers Caucus – a bipartisan group of 48 House members – released their infrastructure report detailing policy suggestions for a future infrastructure plan. AGC and other infrastructure stakeholders consulted with these members of Congress, offering funding recommendations and policy prescriptions for inclusion in the plan.
Led by Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), the caucus’s Infrastructure Working Group proposed bipartisan solutions to improve surface transportation, port and inland waterway, water and wastewater, aviation, energy, and communications infrastructure.
AGC is particularly pleased by the plan’s options for providing a sustainable and long-term funding source for the Highway Trust Fund, including indexing and “modernizing” the federal gasoline tax. Additionally, the plan offers AGC-supported infrastructure funding and financing options, including maintaining the tax-exempt status for municipal bonds and private activity bonds, as well as increasing the private activity bond state volume caps.
Other report highlights include calling on Congress to work with the Office of Management and Budget to reform federal budget scoring for federal infrastructure, dedicating 100 percent of revenue raised for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to support port and harbor dredging, increasing funding to the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and streamlining project delivery through regulatory reforms.
The Problem Solvers report is especially timely as we await the release of the Administration’s infrastructure plan, held up as one of the few bipartisan issues that Congress and President Trump may be able to deliver on this year.
For more information, contact Sean O’Neill at oneills@agc.org or (202) 547-8892.