Weekly Column - The Open Road

Statement

Everyone knows the allure of the open road. In Nebraska, the road can sometimes seem to stretch on forever beneath wide, majestic skies. Nebraskans also know the importance of good roads because we use them every day to do business, run errands, and visit loved ones. Across our vast and beautiful state, we count nearly 97,000 miles of public roads.

In Schuyler last month, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Highway 30 expansion. First proposed in 1988 as part of a Nebraska expressway system, this project will pave 26 miles of four-lane expressway between Rogers and Fremont. It will be funded in part by the Build Nebraska Act, which I introduced when I served in the Nebraska Unicameral. The Highway 30 project will strengthen connections between our communities. It will also make it easier for our farmers and ranchers to bring their world-class products to market.

This project is part of a major initiative by the Nebraska Department of Roads to improve our state's infrastructure. With Governor Pete Ricketts, I traveled to western Nebraska to tout the beginnings of these major improvements. In Kearney and North Platte, I stressed the importance of a strong transportation system to our rural economy and the movement of our products to market. It is necessary to our quality of life here in the state.

In the U.S. Senate, I serve as the chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee. Since 2013, I have advocated long-term solutions for transportation. In 2015, I helped steer to final passage the first major highway bill in over a decade, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Over the next five years, this bill will provide Nebraska with $1.5 billion to update and maintain our roads, highways, and bridges for many years to come.

This bill was a major accomplishment, but more work remains. My time in the Nebraska Legislature has given key insights that I am bringing to the national level.

As a state senator, I led legislation to help local communities in Nebraska gain more control over the highway construction process. My bill, which was later signed into law, tasked Nebraska's Department of Roads with creating the Federal Funds Purchase Program (FFPP). In exchange for voluntarily giving up a portion of their federal transportation dollars, Nebraska counties and towns can now receive funds with more reasonable regulatory requirements. Because of the FFPP, transportation projects, like the longstanding bridge replacement in Buffalo County and a major arterial street in South Sioux City, are up and running.

Because this approach worked so well in Nebraska, last year I introduced the Build USA Act in the U.S. Senate. This bill is modeled after Nebraska's FFPP and establishes a national infrastructure bank called the American Infrastructure Bank (AIB). Under this legislation, states would have the opportunity to enter into voluntary three-year agreements with the bank to remit federal transportation dollars, apply for a transportation project loan, or both. The AIB would offer "State Reciprocal Agreements," allowing them to return 10 percent of their federal transportation dollars in exchange for lowering federal regulations on core infrastructure projects. States better understand the infrastructure needs of their communities, and this legislation would give them greater control over their transportation financing.

Our work to strengthen America's core infrastructure system is not finished. In January, a new Congress will convene, and a new president will be sworn into office. Infrastructure is a top priority for President-elect Donald Trump. I look forward to working with him, the new administration, and my colleagues in Congress to solve our long-term highway-funding needs and provide greater tools to states for completing critical infrastructure projects.

Investing in infrastructure means so much more than adding a few lines to a map. It means connecting our families, delivering goods and services, and feeding a hungry world. I am proud to be a part of such a grand effort.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.

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