Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell voted for H.R. 2353, the Two-Month Highway Trust Fund Extension, but added that the short-term extension fails to address the urgent need to fix our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

“The Highway Trust Fund Extension is nothing more than a Band-Aid. It’s disappointing that Congress is no closer to drafting a long-term solution to invest in our nation’s roads, bridges, and rails than we were this time last year. Our nation’s investment in infrastructure is woefully inadequate to the detriment of our constituents.

“In Alabama, deteriorating roads cost motorists approximately $1.2 billion a year. Across our country, an estimated one in three fatal traffic accidents is caused by roads that are in poor or mediocre condition, and the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that one out of every nine bridges in the U.S. is structurally deficient.

“By building the infrastructure of tomorrow, we would also create thousands of good-paying jobs that help more hard-working Americans earn a living.

“We must do better. There’s no reason why Congress cannot pass a long-term plan that would fix our aging infrastructure and boost our nation’s economic development.” 

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