WASHINGTON — The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) sees potential in an infrastructure proposal now being debated by a U.S. House of Representatives committee.
Work has begun in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act of 2021 (INVEST).
The USTMA said "several provisions within the legislation directly align with the sustainability policies" of the group. The measure also will help fill research gaps in the recycling of scrap tires.
"The bill brought forward today by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee shows real promise to address both our current and future infrastructure needs," USTMA CEO Anne Forristall Luke said.
"From increasing access to modern paving materials, to funding research that will give states and localities access to innovative technologies, there are many places where bipartisan agreement can be found."
The proposed law comes out of the House committee at a time where President Joe Biden has cut off negotiations with Senate Republicans over differences in his administration's infrastructure proposal.
INVEST is a smaller spending package than what the Biden administration wants, but it still seeks to spend $547 billion to improve transportation infrastructure, including $343 billion on roads, bridges and safety, $109 billion on transportation and $95 billion on passenger and freight rail.
Investment on improving roads and bridges would increase by 54% through the bill, which places an emphasis on repairing existing infrastructure. Up to $32 billion would be dedicated to bridge funding and another $4 billion would go to electric vehicle charging stations.
"The INVEST in America Act puts a core piece of President Biden's American Jobs Plan into legislative text — seizing this once-in-a-generation opportunity to move our transportation planning out of the 1950s and toward our clean energy future," U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House committee, said.
