Highway Trust Fund

Dear Majority Leader Reid, Senator McConnell, Speaker Boehner and Representative Pelosi:

Governors urge Congress to resolve the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) shortfall without delay. The looming HTF insolvency and the expiration of federal surface transportation laws and programs on September 30 create uncertainty and threaten jobs across the country.

Strengthening our nation’s infrastructure is critically important for governors because infrastructure is a fundamental ingredient to advance economic growth and global competitiveness, create jobs and improve overall quality of life.  Federal HTF reimbursements to states cover the federal share of contracted work already completed.  Delaying congressional action until the HTF runs dry will not change the fact that those bills must still be paid by the states.

While states are making tough decisions and applying new approaches to fix and fund surface transportation infrastructure, states cannot do this alone.  We need a reliable federal partner.  The ability of states to engage in meaningful long-term, multi-year planning and project delivery hinges on federal policy and funding predictability.

We urge the 113th Congress to resolve the HTF shortfall and enact a long-term reauthorization of federal surface transportation laws and programs.  The time is now to settle these issues and prevent avoidable uncertainty.

Sincerely,