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The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Republican Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy:

The undersigned organizations, who represent both the public and private sectors, write today to urge the swift passage of the bipartisan State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act (S. 3011/H.R. 5735). As organizations at the forefront of America’s economic recovery from the pandemic, we want to ensure state and local governments can fulfill the Congressional intent of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

In addition to our gratitude for the historic investments in state and local governments contained in ARPA, we also applaud the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA/P.L. 117-58), which will help rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and transportation systems. The State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act will build on the IIJA by giving state and local governments the flexibility to use ARPA funds to invest in infrastructure immediately while the IIJA is implemented over the next several years.

This legislation would ensure that state and local governments, which collectively own nearly 100 percent of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, can meet their responsibilities to the nation as intergovernmental partners. These responsibilities include significant public infrastructure leadership, including owning, operating and maintaining public roads, bridges and our nation’s public transit systems, and providing government services such as public health, justice, human services, and safety.

Passage of this legislation – a bipartisan compromise that unanimously passed the U.S. Senate – is key to successfully achieving our shared goals of helping our residents thrive. This new legislation would provide much-needed flexibility in state and local ARPA funds and would neither mandate funds be used in any particular way nor increase overall federal appropriations. This bill would also cap infrastructure investments to ensure funds are not diverted from the ongoing public health emergency.

We believe that providing state and local leaders with flexible resources is the surest way to see our nation’s preparedness and responsivity continue. Passage of this bipartisan legislation will accomplish the true intent of the ARPA – assisting states, cities, counties, tribes and territories in their recovery from the disastrous impacts of the global pandemic. We believe the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act is imperative to fully leverage the benefits of the ARPA’s once-in-a-generation investment and urge you to pass it swiftly.

Sincerely,
National Association of Counties
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
American Bus Association
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Foundry Society
American Highway Users Alliance
American Public Transportation Association
American Public Works Association
American Road & Transportation Builders Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Subcontractors Association
Associated General Contractors of America
Building America’s Future
Community Transportation Association of America
Design-Build Institute of America
FP2, Formerly the Foundation for Pavement Preservation
Government Finance Officers Association
Institute of Transportation Engineers
League of American Bicyclists
National Asphalt Pavement Association
National Association for County Community and Economic Development
National Association of County Engineers
National Association of Development Organizations
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Regional Councils
National Association of Surety Bond Producers
National Community Development Association
National League of Cities
National Precast Concrete Association
National Society of Professional Surveyors
Portland Cement Association
Safe Routes Partnership
Subsurface Utility Engineering Association
United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Conference of Mayors
U.S. Geospatial Executives Organization

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