Transportation
America’s highways, bridges and other road infrastructure projects are partially funded through user fees paid into the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Cumulatively, since 1956, Oklahoma has received back 98 percent of the fees our state paid into the fund back in allocations from the fund. In recent years, however, Oklahoma has received nearly 130 percent of the fees we have paid into the Highway Trust Fund.
The Highway Trust Fund is now close to being depleted because tax collections have declined over time, largely due to changes in inflation, reductions in vehicle miles traveled and increased fuel economy standards. In fact, the federal fuel excise tax has not increased since 1993.
It is important to find a long-term solution to our infrastructure problem. I have introduced legislation with Congressman John Delaney (MD-06) that would create a private infrastructure bank to ensure vital investments are made to our roads. Clearly, the funding sources for the Highway Trust Fund are not adequate to keep up with the demands for maintaining and improving our infrastructure. Members of Congress in both parties and the President of the United States have expressed interest in working together to produce a bipartisan infrastructure package to repair our roads and bridges and build new ones. Despite the challenges, I am committed to working to develop transportation and infrastructure solutions that benefit Oklahomans and all Americans.
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April 25, 2013
News Stories
Oklahoma lawmakers criticized the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday for furloughing air traffic controllers and said other actions could have been taken to save money under mandated budget cuts.