Infrastructure and Transportation
Reliable and safe infrastructure drives economic growth and connects us to the places that are important to us and our families. One of my biggest priorities is making sure that Illinois is not systematically shortchanged by federal transportation money. Smart investments in infrastructure yield very large returns on investment for the federal taxpayer. Underinvestment in infrastructure is detrimental to economic growth and job creation. I believe it is critical that we continue to invest in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and railways, to support efficiency and safety.
My Work on Infrastructure and Transportation
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) and Congressman Van Taylor (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan Payer State Transparency Act of 2020. The legislation would require the Office of Management and Budget, in conjunction with the Council of Economic Advisors and the Treasury Department, to produce annual assessments of net economic effect on individual states of all federal spending programs, and compare these figures against a model of state tax burdens developed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act:
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the House passed the H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, legislation that would make major investments in infrastructure. The final package included the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act introduced by Rep.
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, an amendment offered by Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) to highlight the unequal distribution of federal transportation funds passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of an appropriations package for the Department of Transportation. The legislation now awaits action in the Senate.
The entire Illinois Congressional Delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission chairman and board urging them to improve the nation’s broadband maps.
The delegation asked Chairman Ajit Pai and the four FCC commissioners to reform the mapping process for broadband services, according to a news release from the group. Those who signed onto the letter included local members of Congress like Reps. Bill Foster, Adam Kinzinger, Dan Lipinski and Lauren Underwood.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) sent a letter to the Comptroller General of the United States requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct an independent review of the distribution of federal budget receipts and expenditures across the United States. The bipartisan letter was signed by 14 members of the Illinois congressional delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the Fair Allocation of Highway Funds Act. The bipartisan measure would make sure states, including Illinois, receive a fair share of transportation funding through the Highway Trust Fund.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) released the following statement on the 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Act:
“I supported this omnibus bill, which represents a clear and final rejection of President Trump’s flawed budget. It includes funding for critical areas, including infrastructure, election protection, scientific research, and treatment for opioid addiction. It also gives our military servicemen and women a well-deserved raise.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster announced the formation of the bipartisan Payer State Caucus for the 115th Congress. Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) joined the Caucus as Co-Chair to call attention to the discrepancy in revenue formulas that causes some states to lose federal tax revenue every year.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) reintroduced legislation that would make sure states, including Illinois, receive a fair share of transportation funding through the Highway Trust Fund. The Fair Allocation of Highway Funds Act would change the way transportation funding is allocated to states. Funds are distributed from the Highway Trust Fund without considering a state’s share of the transfer from the U.S. Treasury needed to make up the shortfall from the gas tax.