A group of House Republicans, led by Virginia Rep. Ben Cline, sent a letter Tuesday to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Acting Administrator Stephanie Pollack calling for answers about projects to expand highway capacity.
In the letter, first obtained by the Daily Caller, the lawmakers are requesting a comprehensive breakdown of funding awards related to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which President Joe Biden signed in Nov. 2021. Republicans have continued to raise concerns that this new law reserves taxpayer funds for Green New Deal projects instead of actual infrastructure.
The Federal Highway Administration issued guidelines on Dec. 16, 2021, suggesting that the Biden administration intends to cut funding for traditional infrastructure. The guidance stated that the FHWA “where permitted by law, [will] require … recipients of Federal highway funding to select projects that improve the condition and safety of existing transportation infrastructure within the right-of-way before advancing projects that add new general purpose travel lanes serving single occupancy vehicles.”
The Republicans who signed the letter expressed concern that the directive to improve existing infrastructure before expanding highways will be used to justify green boondoggles.
“During a time of 40-year high inflation, a crippling supply chain, and higher prices of goods and services, the Biden administration is prioritizing infrastructure funds for Green New Deal projects over highway expansion,” Cline told the Caller before sending the letter. “Americans need transparency from this administration to ensure their tax dollars are being properly used.”
The letter was signed by six other House Republicans: Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana, Brian Mast of Florida, Cliff Bentz of Oregon and Randy Weber, Van Taylor and Dan Crenshaw of Texas. (RELATED: Americans ‘Deserve To Know’ Who Ran Transportation Department When Buttigieg Took Paternity Leave, Demands Watchdog)
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“The American people deserve to know if President Biden is using taxpayer dollars to secretly implement liberal green new deal policies. I am glad to partner with Congressman Cline to protect taxpayers and demand transparency from this radical administration,” Banks told the Caller. (RELATED: Buttigieg’s Husband Gets Cushy Job At Democratic Consulting Firm)
The lawmakers called for answers by October 20, 2022.
The Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to the Caller’s request for comment.