Lawmakers pushed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to speed up federally funded infrastructure projects in a recent Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meeting, as they begin developing the next multiyear Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act added about $550 billion over baseline funding levels and included a five-year reauthorization of federal highway, transit and other infrastructure programs that is set to expire at the end of September 2026. That funding infusion helped improve the condition of U.S. infrastructure, but ongoing support is needed to maintain progress and meet new challenges, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Several senators asked Duffy about the status of infrastructure projects in their home states and why some already-approved projects are frozen while agencies review them for mentions of climate change, environmental justice or equity. President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 “Unleashing American Energy” order halted disbursement of IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act funds while federal agencies examine projects for compliance with his policy agenda.
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/duffy-hearing-transportation-reauthorization-iija/744753/