Congressman Waters Offers Amendments to Increase Transportation Funding

Press Release

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, offered two amendments to increase funding for TIGER transportation grants on the floor of the House of Representatives last night. TIGER -- formally known as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery -- is a competitive grant program that creates jobs by funding investments in transportation infrastructure. The amendments were offered to the Republican Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2016, and were ruled out of order following technical objections raised by Republicans.

"The transportation funding in the Republican THUD bill is woefully insufficient to meet our country's infrastructure needs, and I am deeply disappointed that my Republican colleagues would not allow the House to consider my amendments to increase transportation funding," said Congresswoman Waters.

The Congresswoman's first amendment would have provided $1.25 billion for TIGER in FY 2016 and thus fully funded the President's request for this popular program. Her second amendment would have provided $500 million for TIGER in FY 2016 and thus restored TIGER to the FY 2015 level. The Republican THUD bill provides only $100 million for TIGER.

"Our economy is still struggling to recover from the recession," said Congresswoman Waters. "The TIGER program creates meaningful employment building safe roads, bridges, and public transit systems in communities throughout the United States."

The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the public infrastructure of the United States a grade of "D+" in 2013 and estimated that we will need to invest $3.6 trillion by 2020 in order to improve the condition of our infrastructure.

"I urge my colleagues to restore funding for TIGER and invest in transportation infrastructure for the 21st century," said Congresswoman Waters.

Last month, Congresswoman Waters introduced the TIGER Grants for Job Creation Act (H.R. 2495), a bill to provide an emergency supplemental appropriation of $7.5 billion over the next 6 years for the TIGER program. The bill is cosponsored by 68 Members of Congress. Earlier this year, the Congresswoman sent a letter to the Appropriations Committee urging support for TIGER, which was signed by 144 Members of Congress.

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