After voting against a short-term fix to extend funding to the Highway Transportation Fund on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) encouraged his colleagues in Congress to pass only a long-term surface transportation bill.
Money for the infrastructure fund is scheduled to stop flowing at the end of the month if lawmakers can’t agree on a new funding source. Republican leadership offered the short-term fix that would extend funding for improvement projects for bridges, streets and highways throughout the U.S. until the end of the year.
“Enough is enough,” Aguilar said during a speech on the House floor. “We need a comprehensive and long-term surface transportation plan—not a short-term fix. The Highway Trust Fund supports critical projects, which include improving the I-10 freeway in the Inland Empire (of California), as well as countless other projects across the country. It’s time for Republican leadership to start governing and bring us a long-term extension that is measured in years, not months. We don’t need another short-term patch. It’s time for real solutions.”
Despite Aguilar’s plea, the short-term fix was approved by the House with a vote of 312 to 119.
