HISTORIC: House Passes first Long-term Highway Compromise in 10 Years, Includes Critical Crop Insurance Fix
Press Release
Today, the House passed the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which is the first long-term highway bill compromise between the House and Senate since 2005. It passed with strong bipartisan support by a vote of 359-65. The 5-year bill authorizes $281 billion in spending through 2020. About 87 percent of Montana's highway budget comes from federal dollars. According to Federal Highway Administration, Montana would receive about $2.6 billion (slightly more than $400million/year) under this bill.
The joint compromise includes a critical crop insurance provision which restored the program after it was gutted in the budget compromise that former House Speaker John Boehner negotiated with President Obama in October. Zinke voted against the budget compromise due to the crop insurance cuts and lobbied House leadership to revive the program in the must-pass highway bill. He was proud to cosponsor H.R. 3845, the Crop Insurance Restoration Act, and actively worked to include restored funding within the FAST Act.
"I believe building a strong infrastructure is a fundamental role of government. Infrastructure is an investment that will prepare Montana for the future," said Rep. Ryan Zinke. "The highway bill is one of those "must-do' bills because it supports such a huge part of our state and national economies. If we're going to strengthen Montana's businesses, we need reliable roads and highways. These are the same roads that carry coal workers to the Spring Creek Mine in Decker; connect tourists from across the country to our many public lands; and allow ag producers to ship their resources across the state. I am glad to see our government finally step up and recognize this is not merely an expense, it's a path forward for every single Montanan."
Zinke continued, "I'm thankful that the bill's architects in the House and Senate heard my arguments and recognized the need to restore the crop insurance program. Agriculture is our biggest industry, and to leave Montana farmers and ranchers unprotected would have been a mistake."
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