Transportation

Last Tuesday, the American people went to the polls to elect the people they want to lead our country, and the outcome of the election was pretty clear.

Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, and Republicans will continue to control both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Complete Republican control of the federal government has only happened 16 out of the past 100 years.

It is that time of the year again. Families and students are flocking down Interstate 65 or across Interstate 10 to our Alabama beaches for spring break. Those of us who have lived here our entire lives know what it means: crowded roads, packed restaurants, and full hotels.

If you listen to national media outlets, all you ever hear is how Congress is completely broken and dysfunctional. While that narrative is right at times, last week was a bright spot when it comes to working together and passing long-overdue reforms.

The House and the Senate earlier this year each passed separate bills to set policy for our nation’s K-12 education system and to fund our highway system, respectively. Since different bills were passed, Conference Committees made up of both House and Senate members were formed to work out the differences.

I’ve written many times about the need for Congress to pass a reliable, long-term bill to fund our nation’s highway system. I’ve considered this one of my top priorities in Congress because of how important a new highway bill would be for our area.