Rep. Lipinski expresses optimism about infrastructure funding during ATSSA Town Hall today

We just concluded our virtual Town Hall with Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) (lower right) and ATSSA Vice President of Government Relations Nate Smith (lower left) discussing highway funding and the House bill known as the INVEST in America Act.

ATSSA Director of Member Engagement Pamala Bouchard and ATSSA President and CEO Stacy Tetschner (upper right) also took part in the Town Hall.

Lipinski said the House of Representatives will be marking up the bill starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday and that it will likely be a long process.

He called the bill a "robust funding commitment" and said he's "much more optimistic" than he was 24 hours ago about getting passage of a highway bill this year. He noted that the White House announced an infrastructure plan today, which he felt was a good sign.

Lipinski shared that he trained as a mechanical engineer and spent a summer working on a road project in his hometown, both of which taught him a lot about roadway safety and its importance.

The full recording of the Town Hall should be available within 24 hours.

On June 3, the Democratic leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released proposed legislation to reauthorize the federal transportation program through Fiscal Year 2025. That bill, Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act (INVEST in America Act), was introduced by Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chair Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Lipinski, who chairs the Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee..

The proposal authorizes federal transportation funding for five years, at a total of $494 billion, $319 billion of which will be for highway investments.

ATSSA launched virtual Town Halls this spring as another service to its members.