Press Release

Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. welcomed U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to Sacramento County today to highlight the need for a new infrastructure funding bill. Federal transportation funding is set to expire at the end of this month, and if Congress doesn't act soon, Americans' safety, and thousands of jobs across the country will be at risk.

Bera and Foxx also met with local officials from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to discuss transportation projects in the region and the federal help needed to move the projects and the economy forward. Other area members of Congress including Congressman John Garamendi and Congresswoman Doris Matsui were also in attendance.

"Updating our roads, bridges, and highways is not only important to keeping Sacramento County families safe, but it's also vital to our local economy," said Bera. "That's why we need a fiscally responsible and long-term transportation bill that will allow us to update our infrastructure, and we can't let partisan politics get in the way. Secretary Foxx understands better than anyone the importance of investing in our infrastructure, and it was great having him in Sacramento County to talk about the projects that will help our region's economy grow."

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"Our nation's infrastructure has long been the backbone of our economy, but we've been underinvesting in it for far too long," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. "In 2045, there will be 30 million more people living in the United States, and our current system is not prepared for that growth. That's why earlier this year, the Administration put forth the GROW AMERICA Act, a six-year transportation proposal that provides increased and stable investment in our nation's roads, bridges, transit, and rail systems ; this bill will not only bring our system to a state of good repair, it will prepare us for our future. It's time that Congress acts to address America's critical needs."

"We are delighted that Secretary Foxx chose the Sacramento region for a stop in California," said SACOG Board Chair Don Saylor. "The six county and 22 city SACOG region has worked together to invest federal transportation dollars in the highest performing and most strategic projects that benefit the region near- and long-term. Our region's Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy is a model for the country. We have used the best tools and analysis to build transportation infrastructure projects that support all modes of transportation and the diverse lifestyles of our residents."

Our roads and bridges are in dire need of improvement. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the American Society of Civil Engineers, nearly 7,000 bridges in California are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Nearly 70 percent of the state's roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

If Congress does not come up with a solution before funding expires at the end of July, greatly needed new projects to upgrade our roads and bridges would immediately stop, and current projects that receive federal funds could be interrupted. That includes upgrades like Sacramento County's Hazel Avenue Improvement Project to improve traffic safety and ease congestion by widening Hazel Avenue to six lanes, updating traffic signals and improving bike lanes.

Bera supports the bipartisan Partnership to Build America Act, which would help pay for billions of dollars of infrastructure upgrades at no cost to taxpayers. This proposal would incentivize U.S. companies to bring back billions of dollars earned abroad if they invest in infrastructure bonds. The bonds would then be used to help state and local governments finance transportation improvements and create American jobs.

The Administration has also proposed a multi-year transportation Bill called the GROW AMERICA Act to address our nation's transportation needs.