Email Update: Bringing Transportation Secretary Foxx to Sacramento County

Statement

Updating our roads, bridges, and highways is not only important to keeping Sacramento County families safe, but it's also vital to our local economy.

That's why I was pleased to welcome United States Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to Sacramento County yesterday. As Transportation Secretary, he works with state and local governments to improve our nation's infrastructure.

During his visit, Secretary Foxx and I met with local leaders to discuss major transportation projects in our region and the federal help needed to move our economy forward together.

Our roads and bridges are in dire need of improvement. According to the Transportation Department, nearly 7,000 bridges in California are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Nearly 70 percent of our state's roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

Not only does this affect our quality of life, it holds our economy back. We have to work together on bold, innovative ideas to bring America's infrastructure into the 21st century.

Unfortunately, Washington gridlock is getting in the way. Federal transportation funding is set to expire at the end of this month, and if Congress doesn't act soon, Sacramento families' safety, and thousands of jobs will be at risk.

This would immediately stop greatly needed new projects to upgrade our roads and bridges, and could interrupt current projects that receive federal funds, like the Hazel Avenue Improvement Project. This project will improve traffic safety and ease congestion by widening Hazel Avenue to six lanes, updating traffic signals and improving bike lanes.

We shouldn't let partisan politics put our economy at risk. Now more than ever, we need a responsible and long-term transportation bill to fix this problem.

That's why I'm supporting the bipartisan Partnership to Build America Act, which would help pay for billions of dollars of infrastructure upgrades at no cost to taxpayers.

This proposal would incentivize U.S. companies to bring back billions of dollars earned abroad if they invest in infrastructure bonds. The bonds would then be used to help state and local governments finance transportation improvements and create American jobs.

The Administration has also proposed a multi-year transportation bill called the GROW AMERICA Act to address our nation's transportation needs.

As always, I'm honored to work for you.

Be well,
Ami Bera, M.D.
Member of Congress

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