Today, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) released the following statement after voting against a Republican-led short-term extension of the Highway Bill, the second in the last month, instead of passing a two-year reauthorization that would provide lasting jobs and certainty to Ohio families:

“This attempt at a 90-day extension of the Transportation Bill is no way to create jobs or the certainty necessary to effectively invest in our transportation and infrastructure. While I remain dedicated to supporting legislation that strengthens our transportation and infrastructure, and proudly support provisions to strengthen our harbors, the uncertainty of another short-term extension is unacceptable. We need to immediately pass a longer-term extension like the bipartisan bill approved by the U.S. Senate that will create some real certainty and truly put Ohioans back to work.”
A longtime leader on advocating for smart investments in our national infrastructure and improvements in our transportation networks, Sutton supports legislation passed by the United States Senate (S.1813) by an overwhelming bipartisan margin of 74 to 22 (Senate Roll Call Vote Number 48). According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, over 55,000 jobs in Ohio are supported by the Highway Bill. Congresswoman Sutton supported Congressman Boustany‘s (R-LA) amendment that ensured that funds within the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are only spent on harbor maintenance, ensuring steady job creation for Ohioans and others across the country. Congressman Boustany’s amendment was adopted into the underlying legislation through a unanimous voice vote.