San Diego’s entire Congressional delegation supported a short-term extension of federal funding for highway construction, despite objections from many Democrats.
The House voted 387-35 Tuesday to extend Highway Trust Fund-financed projects through the end of July. All five members of Congress from the San Diego area, Republicans and Democrats, supported the extension.
“I supported today’s short-term extension so that America does not default on projects we’ve already committed to, but these short-term fixes have got to stop,” said Rep. Scott Peters, a Democrat.
“It is long past time for Republicans and Democrats to come together behind a real and enduring plan to fix our nation’s crumbling roads and bridges and to modernize our shipping ports so we can increase growth, overcome wage stagnation, and create jobs.”
Peters said that during the next two months he would be looking at several potential paths toward a sustainable Highway Trust Fund, including plans by Republican Jim Renacci of Ohio and another from Democrat John Delaney of Maryland.
According to the Department of Transportation, California alone has 24,812 bridges, nearly 17 percent of which are ‘functionally obsolete,’ and 175,499 miles of public road, of which only 60 percent have acceptable pavement coverage.
