On July 30, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved the five-year $287 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill titled America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA). The five-year funding level is more than a 27 percent increase above the current funding authorization (The FAST Act) and includes provisions to improve road safety, accelerate project delivery, improve resiliency to disasters, reduce highway emissions, and grow the economy.

The bill’s largest hurdle remains to be its funding mechanism. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has stated that he will not bring the bill up for consideration until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expresses support for raising the gas tax, a funding mechanism Leader McConnell has staunchly opposed in the past. President Trump and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio have expressed support for the bill, but a timeline has not yet been set for consideration in the House.