Bustos Reiterates Call for Long-Term Highway Bill & Reauthorization of Export-Import Bank

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 30, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, reiterated her call for a long-term, bipartisan highway funding bill to protect Illinois jobs and critical transportation projects. Earlier today, the House passed yet another short-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund. This short term bill to fund the program through the end of October did not unfortunately include a reauthorization of the job-creating Export-Import Bank, which creates jobs and economic growth throughout Illinois. It has been expired since the end of June.

“It was with great frustration that I voted for yet another short-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund,” said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. “While this action is better than allowing the Highway Fund to expire, our local communities, businesses, and hard working families deserve more than short-term patches that kick the can down the pothole-ridden road. I was also disappointed that today’s bill did not include a reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, which has created and supported over a million American jobs since 2009.”

“Over the next three months, I will continue to advocate for a long-term solution to strengthen our nation’s transportation networks and make the needed down payment on our region’s future economic well-being. I will also continue to push for a reauthorization of the job-creating Export-Import Bank,” Bustos continued.

Bustos is a strong proponent of investing in transportation and infrastructure priorities. Earlier this month, she joined a bipartisan coalition to promote a plan to break the highway funding impasse in Congress. Bustos also held events to call for a long-term highway bill with local officials in Rockford, Peoria and Moline. Earlier this year, she sent letters to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, outlining her transportation priorities and advocating for expanding passenger rail service from Chicago to Rockford to Galena. She is also fighting to expand local control over federal transportation dollars by joining with Congressman Rodney Davis (IL-13) and introducing the bipartisan Innovation in Surface Transportation Act. This bill would create a competitive in-state grant process in which eligible local entities may compete for a larger portion of federal transportation funding.