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Meeting Recap
On Thursday, September 18, the Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee held a business meeting to discuss upcoming legislative priorities, including transportation funding concerns and infrastructure projects, with particular attention to the surface transportation bill and various T&I related reauthorization bills.
The first point of business was to announce that our scheduled guest – Christopher Senn, the Assistant Administrator for Government and Industry Affairs at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – had been called up to Capitol Hill at the last minute along with his boss, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. Assistant Administrator Senn had indicated that he would look to join midway through our meeting.
The discussion began with the notification that Congress needs to pass a reauthorization of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) before the end of September of 2026. With this timeline in mind, the House has been working to see if it can bring a renewal of this law up for a vote by the end of this calendar year. The Senate may try to do the same, but faces more of a challenge in that three authorizing Committees have jurisdiction over the components of this legislation. It was also pointed out that Congress is not inclined to pass as large of a bill as the original IIJA both in scope and funding.
The discussion also touched on air traffic control modernization efforts following recent incidents, with it being noted that $12.5 billion was allocated in the reconciliation bill toward a total estimated cost of $28.5 to $31.5 billion. It was also reported that a new Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) reauthorization bill with $800 million in pipeline safety funding was reported out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and could come to the House floor soon.
Regarding the Coast Guard reauthorization, both the Senate and House passed their bills in recent months, though a conference committee is still needed to reconcile the differences. Also, the House T&I Committee passed a Federal Maritime Commission bill aimed at addressing China's shipping practices and it was noted that WRDA 2026 hearings are ongoing with a markup expected in the spring. Also mentioned was the looming government shutdown, as the current Continuing Resolution for fiscal year 2025 funding will expire at the end of September. While talks are ongoing, there is no resolution yet.
It was pointed out that the Council was continually monitoring events in D.C. to ensure that funding priorities for the region – such as the Cape Cod Bridge Replacement project – stayed on target. It was added that the Administration is looking government-wide for potential funding “clawbacks” and those efforts need to be monitored. Related to that, it was noted that a federal court had ordered the Administration to reinstate funds for electric vehicle charging, however, electric vehicle tax credits okayed under previously passed legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, will be eliminated after October 1st.
Finally, the Committee discussed transportation and housing infrastructure priorities, particularly the need to address road and bridge projects under the IIJA and the intersection of housing and transit needs in rural areas. A future live program of New England Council members to further highlight the issues of transit and housing as intertwined was proposed to include a briefing by regional congressional leaders. The Committee also agreed to develop the Council's priorities for the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill and proactively share them with committee leadership, rather than respond to the legislation as it develops.
Regrettably, Assistant Administrator Senn was not able to join the meeting, and it was subsequently adjourned with a goal to have Mr. Senn address the Council at a later date.
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