July 15, 2015

CASTRO STATEMENT ON HIGHWAY TRUST FUND VOTE

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 3038, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, Part II:

"While I would prefer Congress approve a long-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund, the legislation that passed today is a positive step that will provide temporary relief and certainty to the hundreds of thousands of workers and thousands of vital construction projects across the country that depend on federal funding.

"Funding to maintain and expand America's infrastructure is particularly important to Texas, one of the fastest growing states in the country. If we hope to support an increasing population and expanding economy, we must ensure our state's transportation infrastructure is sound. In Texas, nearly 20 percent of our 49,829 bridges are either structurally deficient of functionally obsolete, and nearly 40 percent of our 300,000 miles of roads and streets are in poor or mediocre condition. This disrepair is unsafe and unacceptable. 

"The short-term funding patches Republicans continue to put forward are unsustainable. For America to achieve the safe, viable infrastructure our motorists and economy deserve, Congress will need to pass a long-term, sustainable transportation funding measure."?

H.R. 3038, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, Part II passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 312 - 119. The bill is a short-term extension of surface-transportation programs through December 18, 2015. 

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