OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

The Federal Higway Trust Fund

Floor Speech

Date: May 19, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Infrastructure Government Budget and Spending

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I realize, like my friends across the aisle, that we find ourselves in a crisis situation of our own making. The Federal highway trust fund is set to run out of money, and with our current infrastructure needs, the fund's moneys are simply not enough. But instead of addressing the issue during the last several Congresses, short-term fixes have been passed, and Congress has kicked the can down the road. We need more than rhetoric on the importance of infrastructure. We need solutions.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday I will introduce the Prioritizing American Roads and Jobs Act. This bill will roll back 100 percent Medicaid expansion reimbursement rates to be equal to traditional Medicaid rates, with the savings transferring to the highway trust fund. This bill will add $15 billion a year to the trust fund and put it back on the path to financial stability for the long term, while freeing up $150 billion for deficit reduction over the next 10 years.

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