Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) president Dennis Slater issued the following statement in support of a bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill that calls for a historic investment in U.S. roads, highways and bridges.

"The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 reflects many of the policies that are vital to keeping equipment manufacturers competitive in the global economy and creating new jobs, new growth and new prosperity for all Americans.

"We applaud Senators Carper, Capito, Cardin and Cramer's leadership in securing this historic, bipartisan agreement to fund America's roads, highways and bridges. Their tireless leadership will ensure Americans have the safe, reliable, and modern surface transportation system our economy needs.

"This investment will also benefit U.S. equipment manufacturers and the 2.8 million men and women who build the equipment needed to make a 21st century infrastructure system a reality. This represents an important step forward in advancing the ongoing national debate about the future of U.S. infrastructure and we look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives to get a bill to President's desk as soon as possible."

U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW); Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va), the committee's ranking member; Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Transportation Infrastructure; and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), the subcommittee's ranking member, on May 22 announced the release of a bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill that will be marked up by the EPW Committee on May 26, 2021.

The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 sets a new baseline funding level at a historic high of $303.5 billion for Department of Transportation programs for highways, roads and bridges. This marks an increase of more than 34 percent from the last reauthorization to pass Congress, the FAST Act, in 2015.

The prior authorization for surface transportation programs expired in 2020; Congress passed a one-year extension that will expire on Sept. 30, 2021.

For more information, visit www.aem.org.

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