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House passes Transportation Act

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Chamber-of-commerce [5]U.S. Chamber of Commerce [6]

U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue today issued the following statement regarding House approval of H.R. 22, the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act”:

“The FAST Act is a critical investment in our nation’s future that will help keep people and commerce moving and put Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. We applaud the House and Senate for finding a path forward on this important legislation.

“This five-year reauthorization for our nation’s federal transportation infrastructure will enhance our global competitiveness and enable business to plan for the future, creating jobs and strengthening the economy. This bill also gives Congress time to discuss longer-term solutions for providing consistent funding for the Highway Trust Fund without the looming threat of another short-term extension deadline.

“The Chamber also welcomes the reauthorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, which has garnered overwhelming support in Congress. In recent weeks, we’ve seen how American companies are forced to operate at a unique disadvantage in global markets without Ex-Im, resulting in lost sales and lost jobs. We applaud the determined work of those Congressional leaders who have acted to protect the competitiveness of American companies.

“The U.S. business community also applauds the permit streamlining provisions included in the FAST Act to coordinate and speed up the review and approval of permitting for significant infrastructure and manufacturing projects. Improving the permitting process to make our system swift but safe – one of the Chamber’s longstanding regulatory and legislative priorities – is essential for investment, development, and growth of the American economy.

“Additionally, by adding in Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act style reforms and relief for smaller banks, Congress has moved forward with provisions to protect consumers, investors and open up processes for businesses to grow and create jobs.”

The Chamber sent a Key Vote letter to all members of Congress urging them to support the FAST Act. You can find a copy of the Key Vote letter here.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.