U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Introduces Bipartisan Reform to Rebuild Stronger Roads and Bridges Following Severe Weather Events

Statement

U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mike Braun (R-IN) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) today introduced legislation to help states rebuild stronger roads, highways and bridges as they recover from natural disasters, such as a severe storm, flood or hurricane.

The Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program provides federal funding to states to rebuild roads and bridges damaged by storms, floods and other disasters. Incorporating resiliency improvements into emergency relief projects has become increasingly important, particularly as states and communities sustain years of repeated damage and are forced to rebuild with limited funds. Yet too often, highway infrastructure is rebuilt to pre-disaster specifications, leaving roads and bridges vulnerable to another disaster. Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General found that states may not be improving the resilience of transportation infrastructure to the extent possible. Baldwin's legislation requires the Federal Highway Administration to provide states with the guidance and tools needed to rebuild infrastructure that is more resilient to the next severe weather event.

"In recent years, communities in Wisconsin have been hit particularly hard by severe weather events and flooding that has washed out roads and damaged highways and bridges," said Senator Baldwin. "As severe weather becomes more and more frequent, we need to empower states and local communities to build stronger roads and bridges that can withstand the next storm or natural disaster. This reform will not only ensure we are better protecting our infrastructure, but it will also save taxpayer dollars."

"As I travel Indiana, one issue Hoosiers consistently tell me could use work is our infrastructure," said Senator Braun. "With recent severe flooding and devastating tornadoes hitting the state, rebuilding our infrastructure with resilience in mind is critical to keeping Hoosiers safe and saving taxpayer money in the long-run."

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