Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) issued the following statement today after voting for legislation (H.R. 5021) to replenish the Highway Trust Fund through May 2015. The U.S. Department of Transportation has indicated that the fund will fall below a sustainable level on Aug. 1, putting as many as 700,000 jobs at risk, unless Congress acts.
“The Highway Trust Fund is absolutely essential to Southwest Connecticut’s transit projects and economy, and allowing it to run dry is simply not an option. This legislation will protect hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide and critical transportation projects in our region, but we must do better. I will continue pushing for long-term investments to address our nation’s critical need to build a 21st century transportation infrastructure that creates jobs and helps our businesses compete in the global economy.“