House Begins Work on Reconciliation Package as Transportation Deadline Approaches

On August 24, the House of Representatives voted along party lines to pass a budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2022 directing the various committees of the House to pass their respective provisions of a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package. The Senate passed a similar budget resolution earlier in the month. Last week, House committees met to begin crafting their respective portions of the reconciliation package.

Committees are working toward a “soft deadline” of September 15 to complete all component pieces of the reconciliation package. Based on an agreement reached between Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and 10 moderate Democrats in order to proceed to passage of the budget resolution, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – the bipartisan infrastructure package negotiated and passed by the Senate – was guaranteed a vote by September 27, just days before the federal highway programs expire.

To consider its part of the House reconciliation package, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met on Tuesday, September 14, and reported a $60 billion investment that provides funding for affordable housing access programs, transportation-related greenhouse gas reduction, high-speed rail corridor assistance, and neighborhood access and equity grants. The package also includes $300 million in FEMA grants to update and enforce hazard resistant codes and standards as well as $500 million for the hazard mitigation revolving loan fund.

NRMCA, in concert with a broad coalition of transportation construction stakeholders, is meeting with hundreds of Congressional offices to highlight our support for the bipartisan infrastructure package and the critical urgency of reauthorizing federal highway programs – avoiding a lapse or a short-term extension in authority for state departments of transportation.

For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.