Vitter Selected To Be T&I Subcommittee Chairman

(Washington, DC) – Today, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) was elected to be the Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure and made the following statement about getting to work on the federal highway bill.

“Improving and updating our nation’s infrastructure is not a partisan issue, and I am optimistic of writing and implementing the necessary reforms our nation has waited for for too long,” said Vitter. “A top priority for this subcommittee will be helping to provide traffic relief, so we can carry out our daily routines, like picking up the kids from school. I’m looking forward to building on the great progress we made last year on developing a highway bill.”

In the previous Congress, Vitter was the top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee. Last year, Vitter led the passage of S. 2322, the MAP-21 Reauthorization Act, a long-term bipartisan bill to reauthorize the nation’s transportation programs for six years at current funding plus inflation, through the EPW Committee. Click here to read more.

Some of the provisions Vitter included last year and will work to keep in the new highway bill that help alleviate traffic congestion in Louisiana are below:

Louisiana currently ranks 10th in the nation in the most deficient bridges. The bill will give locals more flexibility to “bundle” projects together. This bundling will streamline approval process, consolidate unnecessary paper work, and maximize efficiency to complete projects ahead of time

New Orleans and Baton Rouge both rank in the top 25 in the nation in traffic congestion. The bill includes a new freight program that will relieve congestion by targeting funds to build additional lanes and improve the flow of commerce along our nation’s highways
Prioritizes major projects like I-49 South and LA 1.

Improves safety measures, provides more funding certainty, and expands opportunities for infrastructure investment in rural areas.