NACo joins letter calling on U.S. House to vote on surface transportation legislation
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Ben Gilsdorf
Andrew Nober
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Key Takeaways
On June 15, NACo joined a letter calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to hold a floor vote on the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (BUILD America 250) Act (H.R. 8870). The bill would reauthorize and reorganize federal highway and surface transportation programs for 5 years.
The letter urged the full House to act on the legislation, which advanced out of committee with overwhelming bipartisan support. NACo supports the BUILD America 250 Act and urges Congress to swiftly enact a highway bill that strengthens federal investment in local transportation networks.
Background
The BUILD America 250 Act, led by U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), would authorize approximately $580 billion in surface transportation spending over the next 5 years, including billions for counties through grants and formula programs. On May 22, the committee voted 62-2 to approve the legislation, but it has yet to receive consideration by the whole House.
The legislation would reauthorize federal surface transportation programs, including funding for roads, bridges, multimodal infrastructure and rail safety. It includes provisions from the bipartisan BASICS Act (H.R. 7437), which NACo endorsed as a blueprint for strengthening federal investment in local transportation, as well as several other NACo-endorsed bills.
The letter was cosigned by state and local government organizations such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), which represents state departments of transportation.
Get Involved
NACo supports the BUILD America 250 Act and encourages Congress to act on the legislation before surface transportation programs expire on September 30, 2026. Counties can reach out to their Representatives and share the county role in transportation using NACo’s Surface Transportation Reauthorization toolkit.
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