What They Are Saying: House Leaders are Ready to Vote on the BUILD America 250 Act 

WASHINGTON – The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee recently advanced the bipartisan BUILD America 250 Act, bringing renewed focus to the importance of investing in America’s roads, bridges, and transit systems. 

During and after the bill markup, members of Congress highlighted the need for reliable federal funding to modernize the nation’s transportation network, improve safety, and drive economic growth. Here’s what they said:

On the importance of funding America’s roads, bridges, and transit systems: 

• House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves (R-MO): “The purpose of the BUILD America 250 Act is right there in its name. We are celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation and the infrastructure that has helped form it, and this bill is about building the infrastructure we need for America’s future. … This bill makes historic investments in our bridges and other critical infrastructure, reduces costs and delays in building, ensures states have the resources and flexibility they need, bolsters the Highway Trust Fund, fosters innovation, and provides a framework for safely integrating autonomous commercial motor vehicles onto our highways.” 

• Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC): “America’s economic engine depends on infrastructure built to be safe, reliable, and capable of keeping the country moving. … The BUILD America 250 Act responsibly invests in strengthening our roads, highways, and bridges, reflecting collaboration among Congress, job creators, and our communities.”

• Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI): “Transportation policy affects every single one of us, from the roads, bridges, buses, trains, and walkways we rely on to get where we’re going to the countless good-paying jobs it supports. … This legislation represents serious bipartisan work to invest in our communities, improve public safety, and modernize our critical systems across the country, and importantly, we got it done before the previous package expires later this year.” 

• Rep. Dave Taylor (R-OH): “Buckeye families depend on safe and accessible roads to get to work and take their kids to school, and our local industries rely on safe transportation networks to keep business moving. … This bill will cut red tape to accelerate infrastructure projects, strengthen highway safety for motorists, and support our hardworking truckers.” 

• Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA): “Our nation and the Bay Area are experiencing modern challenges with transportation that require modern solutions—not the same strategies we’ve been using for decades. I have been dedicated to meeting the transportation needs of our community, including initiatives to encourage and support electric vehicle use and to develop public transit and infrastructure that connects Americans seamlessly between home and work.” 

• Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN): “Hoosiers sent me to Washington to solve practical problems. … These are issues and priorities that I heard directly from constituents — safer roads, faster project approvals, stronger rail infrastructure, and accountability for commercial driver training. My team and I worked hard to build these priorities into the Highway Bill — with clear priorities for Indiana’s Sixth District, and we delivered.” 

• Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL): “Funding our roads, bridges, transit, passenger rail, and other critical infrastructure is vital to the economic health and mobility of our communities. As a Member representing the Chicagoland region and serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I take this responsibility seriously. I appreciate the bipartisan effort from Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen on the five-year surface transportation reauthorization effort.” 

• Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA): “Our roads, bridges, and transportation networks keep [Northeastern Pennsylvania] moving, connect workers to jobs, and support local businesses. … Too many communities are dealing with aging infrastructure that has been overlooked for too long. I’m proud to champion the largest bridge investment in American history and fight for policies that protect the workers who make these projects possible.” 

• Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX): “The BUILD America 250 Act also invests in our nation’s infrastructure systems that connect our country and ensures that all users of our highways pay their fair share for the upkeep of our roads. This legislation is a win for the future of our nation’s roads, bridges, and railways, which every American relies on every day, and I’m proud to have voted ‘YES’ to advance this legislation to the House Floor.” 

• Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD): “America’s roads, bridges, and railways are among our most important assets. … People use roads every day to get to and from work, school, or the doctor. For others, the roads are their office – they spend hours each day hauling goods across the country. Roads are critical to community life, the supply chain, and our national security. The BUILD America 250 Act provides a strong investment in our transportation system to keep America moving and gives states the driver’s seat to address their unique needs.” 

• Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL): “This is a huge win for the people of Northwest Florida. … [The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee] plays a critical role in investing in our nation’s roadways, bridges, and railways. It’s truly an honor to be part of that effort in Congress.” 

• Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY): “I’ve been working hard with colleagues on both sides of the aisle all year to make sure this bill invests in what our community needs: more housing and better roads, bridges, and rails. I’m incredibly proud we got it done. … From major investments in rail and bridge safety, commercial and residential housing development, and a historic step in expansion of West of Hudson one-seat ride to the City, the BUILD America 250 Act goes to show what happens when you put politics aside and focus on delivering for the people.” 

• Rep. Shomari Figures (R-AL): “Ensuring that our roads, bridges, ports, and rail are up to date and get the investment they need is essential to our public safety and economy. I’m proud to have fought to secure real, concrete wins for the Second Congressional District that will strengthen our infrastructure and set the foundation for future growth and success.” 

• Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI): “The Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (BUILD America 250) Act extends federal infrastructure and public transit programs for five years and makes critical reforms to improve safety, reduce costs, and speed up construction.” 

• Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO): “As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I recently supported the BUILD America 250 Act, a major infrastructure package that passed committee, which is focused on strengthening America’s roads, bridges, public transit, and transportation systems.” 

• Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS): “Strong roads, bridges, rail, and freight infrastructure are essential to keeping people and goods moving safely and efficiently across our country … The BUILD America 250 Act focuses on the basics by investing in the core infrastructure Americans rely on every day, cutting red tape so projects can be completed faster, giving states the flexibility to meet their unique transportation needs, and strengthening the Highway Trust Fund. The Big First has more bridges than any congressional district in the country, so I am proud that this bill makes the largest investment in American bridges in our nation’s history while supporting the industries that power our state. Seventy years after President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act into law, this legislation honors his legacy by keeping America moving.” 

• Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA): “I’m proud to have secured essential provisions in the BUILD America 250 Act that will improve the lives of my constituents as much as the roads they drive, the bridges they cross and the trains they ride. This bipartisan bill will restore our aging bridges and repair crumbling roads to build out safe, accessible transit and bike infrastructure.”

On how the BUILD America 250 Act improves road safety:  

• Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV): “It feels like just yesterday that we enacted the most significant infrastructure investment in our nation’s history through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. … I am proud to help pass this bipartisan package to build on that progress that includes my provisions to help prevent thermal runaway accidents, make our buses more resilient in the face of extreme heat, protect our children in school zones, keep children out of emergency rooms from e-bike and e-scooter accidents, increase funding for critical infrastructure projects across Southern Nevada, and keep animals and drivers out of harm’s way.” 

• Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY): “This bill makes critical investments in both our transportation infrastructure and, equally important, our transportation safety. It will support projects that my community on Long Island and others across the country rely on every day. It will strengthen and create programs aimed at reducing crashes and improving our roadway safety. And it will protect and honor our transportation workforce – the hardworking men and women who maintain our highways, operate our transit systems, and keep us moving safely and efficiently across the country.” 

• Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN): “Memphis has a pedestrian fatality problem and that is addressed in this bill. I commend Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for shepherding this massive bipartisan bill to a very favorable conclusion.” 

• Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL): “I’m also pleased that my BIKE Act with Rep. Magaziner was included in the package, which will ensure that federal funding can be used to support bicycle education and safety programs. I look forward to passing the BUILD America 250 Act and sending it to President Trump’s desk to sign my key priorities into law.” 

On the importance of strong transportation systems for job creation and economic growth:  

• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA): “You can’t have a big-league economy with little-league infrastructure. … The BUILD America 250 Act will create good paying jobs while restoring aging bridges, repairing crumbling roads, and supporting safe, accessible rail, transit and bike infrastructure. My top priority this Congress was building on the momentum that the last bipartisan infrastructure law created for our transportation system and our economy and that’s exactly what the BUILD America 250 Act does.” 

• Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS): “When infrastructure works well, it shows up in everyday life — less time sitting in traffic, businesses moving products, safer trips for families, and lower costs at the end of the month. … This bipartisan package is about making those basic things work the way they should, while creating good-paying jobs and ensuring Kansas and the country stay competitive in a global economy. We’ll keep improving it as it moves through Congress.” 

• Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR): “The bipartisan BUILD America 250 Act will boost Oregon’s economy and create more jobs by investing in highways and rail, upgrading transit safety, providing more grant opportunities to local governments and improving worker protections.” 

• Rep. Eleanor Norton (D-DC): “The bill delivers broad investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, transit and bike infrastructure, which will boost our economy by increasing the country’s capacity to safely transport goods and people.” 

On supporting rural and local infrastructure with federal funding:  

• Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN): “This legislation returns our nation’s investments to traditional infrastructure projects by securing the first new revenue into the Highway Trust Fund in over 30 years and making the largest investment into bridges in our history. Rural America is being prioritized under this legislation, and once passed, I expect to see significant funding distributed to much needed projects in Minnesota’s Eighth District.” 

• Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA): “The BUILD America 250 Act is a smart investment in local communities as they build, repair, and replace critical infrastructure. … This bipartisan bill addresses safety, creates jobs, builds more housing near transit hubs, and complements the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021.”  

• Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI): “From investing more than ever in our nation’s bridges to cutting red tape to build faster, this bill will make a big difference in people’s everyday lives. I’m especially excited that we’re giving more of a voice to local governments by helping them directly access federal dollars to fix crumbling roads, with billions of dollars in new funding to repair local bridges.”