Senators Murray, Cantwell, and 30 Democrats Urge Senate Colleagues to Support Strong Investments in TIGER Program, Reject Drastic Cut in House Bill
Senators decry House Committee’s plan to eliminate TIGER funding from budget, urge Chairman Collins and Ranking Member Reed to reject plan to gut critical transportation investment program that helps communities carry out transportation projects
In new letter, Senators argue that elimination of TIGER program would “hurt states, local governments, ports, and transit agencies throughout America working to solve complex multimodal transportation challenges.”
Senators: TIGER “puts people to work, boosts regional economies, and improves infrastructure in our states and across the country.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Science Committee, sent a letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) yesterday to fight for critical infrastructure projects in Washington state and across the country and urged them to include robust funding for the TIGER program in the Senate’s funding bill.
Joined by 30 of their Senate colleagues, the Senators expressed serious concerns regarding the House Committee on Appropriations’ elimination of funding for the TIGER program in their Fiscal Year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill approved on July 17th. In their letter the Senators noted TIGER’s bipartisan support and the difference the program has made in their states, arguing that over 7,300 applications for more than $165 billion in transportation projects have been submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) over the life of the program, demonstrating a clear need for continued investment in the TIGER program to meet the growing needs of communities throughout the nation.
“Our national infrastructure faces serious challenges and the need for continued investment to address aging infrastructure, spur economic development, and support good middle-class jobs cannot be overstated,” the Senators wrote.
Since Sen. Murray created the TIGER program in 2009, it has awarded $5.1 billion to help facilitate 421 multimodal projects in every state in the nation, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Of that total, Washington state has received $239 million to support 16 projects. These include the Tacoma LINK Expansion, a new ferry terminal in Mukilteo, the North Spokane Corridor, the Mercer Corridor Redevelopment project in Seattle, the South Park Bridge Replacement in King County, the West Vancouver Freight Access project at the Port of Vancouver, improvements to I-5 to relieve congestion around Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and terminal modernization projects at the Ports of Seattle and Everett.
The full text of the letter can be found below:
July 20, 2017
The Honorable Susan M. Collins
Chairman
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Dirksen 184
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Jack Reed
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Hart 125
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Collins and Ranking Member Reed:
Our national infrastructure faces serious challenges and the need for continued investment to address aging infrastructure, spur economic development, and support good middle class jobs cannot be overstated. That is why we have serious concerns that the Fiscal Year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill approved by the House Committee on Appropriations on July 17 has fallen short in supporting critical infrastructure projects by eliminating funding for the National Infrastructure Investments program (TIGER). As you continue your work on the Fiscal Year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we strongly urge you to include robust funding for this effective program.
Since its creation in 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $5.1 billion to 421 innovative, multimodal projects in every state in the nation, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Each year the demand for TIGER far exceeds the amount of funding available. Over the life of the program, DOT has received more than 7,300 applications for more than $165 billion in transportation projects throughout the country, which clearly demonstrates the need for continued investment in the TIGER program.
The TIGER program enjoys support from Democrats and Republicans alike, as we have seen firsthand the difference the program can make in our states. In January during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing, Secretary Chao noted TIGER is "one area of great agreement" in Congress and that the funding levels for this program were a "modest sum." Not funding TIGER would disregard the vast bipartisan support for this high impact, cost effective, and competitive program which leverages private, state, and local investment. It would also hurt states, local governments, ports, and transit agencies throughout America working to solve complex multimodal transportation challenges.
This unique program puts people to work, boosts regional economies, and improves infrastructure in our states and across the country. TIGER merits continued investment, and we urge you to reject proposals to eliminate the program and to provide robust funding for TIGER.
Sincerely,
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