Edwards releases statement about transportation bill

Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) recently released a statement about the Highway Transportation Funding Act of 2015, also known as HR 3038.

The statement explains her vote against the bill, even though the bill was passed by the House. The vote was 312-119.

“From sequestration to shutdown to governing by extension, leadership requires us to think about the consequences of so-called quick fixes and seemingly bi-partisan negotiations that leave American workers hanging and our infrastructure falling apart,” Edwards said. “For too long, Republicans have kept our nation stuck in small, short-term patches that fail to meet the challenge of our nation’s crumbling roads and bridges – even as other nations advance their infrastructure by leaps and bounds.

“I opposed this legislation because I oppose the Republican-philosophy of kicking the can down the road,” Edwards said. “We must end this logjam and pass a long-term reauthorization of both the surface transportation law and the Highway Trust Fund that will bring our roads, rails and bridges into the 21st century. That is why I, along with a number of my House Democratic colleagues, introduced the GROW AMERICA Act, which is a six-year, $478 billion bill. We need to invest in our infrastructure in a way that puts American families back to work.”