Testified on oversight and Infrastructure Investment. Topics include the recent recall of more than 2,000,000 t vehicles due to safety concerns with the autopilot system. Electric vehicle charging station infrastructure, highspeed rail, and Vehicle Safety standards. The hearing was held before house transportation and infrastructure subcommittee. [inaudible conversations] the subcommittee on highway internal condors are asking in the sense of the german golfers to declare recess at the time during todays hearing. Without objection, so ordered. Also ask consent members not on the subcommittee be permitted to sit with the subcommittee at the days inn and ask questions without objection. So ordered. If members wish to insert a document into the record is also email it. Ask unanimous consent to enter a letter from senator capito and several other senators and a press release on senator cramer into the record. Without objection and so ordered. I never like it has myself for the purposes of an Opening Statement for five minutes. Good morning and i think each of our witness of thing you today. The under the administrators beforeni us represent the full scope of the jurisdiction of the subcommittee on highways and transit. However, despite the subcommittee software get a bipartisan oversight efforts we have not had any mogul administrative before us since 2019. Todays witnesses can help provide clarity on mood issues related to the limitation of the for such investment and jobs act, as they are people and programs represent play a pivotal role in the department of transportations efforts to enact this legislation. We marked to you since the passage of iija which brightest work for an increase for americas infrastructure including over half a trillion dollars for programs under the subcommittees gestation. Iija is increase bundy, great new programs with the eligibility and increase by nearly 500 did not that of competitive Grant Funding the secretary will award. Ded was the most under the committees jurisdiction and creates approximately 80 compared to the last authorization bills fixing americas surface transportation act. Since i became transportation and Infrastructure Projects into the companies that provide the services in those sectors have not been immune to these costs. The prices of materials with Construction Equipment and labor have all remained high since the passage. In september the federal Highway Administration released updated data for the Construction Cost index with federal highways now in the First Quarter of 2023 the Construction Index reached an alltime high. Further according to the Transportation Bureau of transportation statistics highway construction increased nine of the last ten quarters compared to the last quarter of 2020 the Construction Costs increased 53. 8 . The purchasing power provided therefore greatly diminished not only my concern about the inflationary pressures, but as i have said many times before the administrations focus should be on enacting the legislation is written, not on the progressive policy proposals that didnt make it into the final. The day before thanksgiving when im sure all of us were refreshing the website waiting for an important proclamation, the fhwa announced it had finalized to create a new Greenhouse Gas performance measure to cut the tailpipe emissions stemming from transportation on the national highway system. I understand you have been tasked with tackling Climate Change first in your core measurements against the concern is during the consideration the policy proposal is expressly excluded and the legislation. Theres simply no congressional mandate or provided authority to take this action. Another example dot with direction from the policy offices using the discretionary Grant Programs to layer on the requirements that do not exist in statute and while we received a press release after press release announcing funding rewards these are not legally binding documents. I think we can all agree that it has plenty of Strings Attached by congress. Theres no reason to add even more at the agency level. Im also very concerned at the extremely slow rate they are being negotiated around the parties have signed according to the numbers. They advertise that youre making grants but it isnt going out the door and projects arent being done. I could go on but i would reiterate the message from the stakeholders theres the risk of delaying critical transportation projects that are necessary to move people safely and efficiently through the country even though i did not support, its of the law and i will ensure the resources provided are addressing the most pressing safety infrastructure supply chain needs, which i know is a shared bipartisan goal of all of us in the room today. The bill was not a blank check for this administration to pursue social or Environmental Policies unrelated to the nations Transportation System. The committee will work with dot end of the agencies represented to ensure the dollars are spent wisely and prudently on the Infrastructure Improvements the nation requires. I think the witnesses for appearing today and i look forward to a productive dialogue and recognizes the Ranking Member for five minutes for an Opening Statement. I would like to thank the subcommittee chair for holding would like to thank subcommittee chair crawford for holding this investment on the implantation of the Infrastructure Investment and jobs act. It was one of the most important bills enacted last congress. Within our subcommittees providedion it 365 billion for highways, 108 billion, for transit 43 billion, for multimodal grants, and 13 billion dollars for highway and motor carrier safety. The work of our subcommittee help set the bar high here many of the funding levels of Infrastructure Investment and jobs act are similar to what we proposed in the invest act. Two years in we are seeing the success of the law across the country. This past summer the National Capital region Transit Agency, the Washington Electric metropolitan area receive 104 main dollars grant from the federal Transit Administration to purchase zeroemission buses, convert an existing Maintenance Facility to Serve Electric buses, and training its workforce to operate and maintain electric buses. I thank administrator fernandez in the Biden Administration for this investment in good jobs and cleaner act for our region. Success stories like this are playing out across the nation. Every member in this room today, whether they voted for the Infrastructure Investment and jobs act or not, has at least one project funded in their Congressional District. As implementation continues, our country will seek safer transportation, improve mobility, a cleaner environment, and better access for all communities. Much work remains to be done. America is experiencing an epidemic of traffic fatalities which is falling disproportionately on pedestrians, cyclists, and communities of color. I look forward to hearing from each of our witnesses about their work to prevent these fidelitys. We must reckon with the rise of new technology. Such as Autonomous Vehicles and what it means for the workforce. Our workers are the backbone of our Transportation Network. As new technologies become prevalent we must ensure we protect jobs and w give workersa seat at the table here we must also work to. Mitigate the impat of our Transportation System on the environment. Transportation is the largest source of Greenhouse Gas emissions in the United States. Our transportation policies and programs must be reformed accordingly. Expanding access to transit, walking and biking infrastructure is a key part of the solution. I also support the federal Highway Administrations new requirement as as a tractor y emissions and make plans to reduce them. This requirement is derived from authority provided by congress in 2012 and is a critical step in the right direction. I also appreciate the department of transportation wide efforts to improve equity and address the decades of harm caused by our Transportation System to lowincome communities and communities of color. I urge the department to ensure the neighborhood access and Equity Funding approved by this committee as part of the Inflation Reduction Act is quickly put to use. Thank you to our witnesses today. I appreciate your diligent work to implement the Infrastructure Investment and jobs act and the diverse and thoughtful perspectives you bring to thect challenges ahead. I look forward to todays discussion. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, ms. Norton. And i would recognize chairman gray. Hes been and will be with us for this particular hearing so i now recognize the reiki rr of the full committee mr. Larsen for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to thank the chair and Ranking Member for having the same today. I want to welcome all the dot witnesses and thanks for bridges but in the subcommittee in today. About your work to implement bil. The bipartisan infrastructure law and t the scene is another opportunity to highlight how these federal infrastructure dollars are benefiting communities and helping usin to build a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible Transportation System. Congress provided 530 billion in the dollars in the bil for roads and bridges transit buses areas and other infrastructure needs under the subcommittees jurisdiction. Investmenttm level a number of w initiatives in the bil far exceeds previous transportation bills and congress had a dot a tall order in the permitting this legislation. Given the first two must cisco use of the big of the department to shoot over 180 billion in highway funds and 40 billion and transit funds to states and localities. Funding has gone out under more than three dozen competitive Grant Programs, and more is on the way. Just this morning the department announced awards for the safe Streets Program totaling 110 millionli for 385 projects nationwide including, and youll be surprised when you talk about this, three in my district. Yes, indeed totaling about 1. 4 million to the city and county develop roadway safety daction plans and the engine Business Council to test nine safety demonstration projects. Yesterday the department announced awards for teaching projects under the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program which totaled 645 million. This funding will help world committees reconstruct roads and freight infrastructure to make them safer and moreak accessibl. I highlight these awards and nasa because they clinton street how communities across the years are receiving benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure law. It also seen the benefits in this law from creation of jobs. Dollars transit do projects on the ground and jobs for American Workers. Septemberer 23 these dollar support over 60,000 thousand highway projects alone according to an analysis by the american boat and transportation builders association. Theres at least one new project underway in every Congressional District in the country. The bil, the department has awarded 25 million and raise grants to the account my district replaced asphyxiationyearold ivan 30. Project success and of the projects across the country means jobs, jobs with good wages, benefits and working conditions for transportation workers and manufacturers. Bil means more jobs in the transportation construction, transit, trucking, aviation, rail and maritime sectors. Without these investment the economy would be in far worse shape. We are only two years to a fiveyear bill, the department has invested in projects across the country and there is more to come. Now congress has the job of conducting oversight of implementation efforts by dot, state dot, project sponsors and industry to ensure these projects are delivered quickly and effectively and a lot a supplement in line. Congressss direct investment in bil to address many things including addressing Climate Change and reducing Carbon Pollution. We directed investments to improve safety and equity outcomes on our Transportation Networks. We want to butor more decisionmaking power in the hands of local committees whose country to know there ever such a best of these and other changes are now enhance the dod to execute your ipod efforts to date on the front and the subsequent address take onte a high rate of death to prioritize and reconsideration grants and that your Disadvantaged Business Enterprises reap the benefits of being a fun and tomato reduce Carbon Pollution from transportation sources as provided in transportation law dating back a decade. Nii welcome this Opportunity One again acknowledge that some of its infrastructure benefits each of ourtr dishes and constituents are reaping. The committee continues to living Bipartisan Solutions for all americans. I want to thank the witnesses for the service and for guiding your agencys and priorities, and then other priorities coax us as you to implement. Ik look forward to todays discussion. With that i give expert thank you ranked member. I want to welcome our newest member of the subcommittee, ms. Maloy from utah. With us andeing welcome to the subcommittee. Now i want to welcome our witnesses and thank themm for being you today. The honorable carlos monje under such a transportation for policy office of secretary of transportation. Honorable shailen bhatt, administrative federal Highway Administration if the honorable Maria Fernanda minister for federal transportation administration. The honorable Robin Hutcheson administrator federal motor carrier Safety Administration, and ann carlson acting administrator national Highway SafetyTraffic Safety administration. Briefly i probably dontat haveo go intont great detail picking w these lights were. Green means go. Yellow means upon the gas because its fixing to turn red. That means you run out of time period due to the nature of the Committee Hearings that we have five witnesses, we ask you to strictly due to the five minutes if you hear this little sound, that means you are exceeding your fiveminute a lot of time and well ask you to wrap quickly so we can get onto the next witness and then to member questions. I ask unanimous consent that the witnesses full status included in the record. Without objections order to ask mens consent the record of todays are and remain open such time as a witness provide answers to questions that may be submitted in writing. Without objection, so ordered. I also asked in an miss consent to back remain open for 15 days for any additional comments and information submitted by member or witness it be included in the record in todays thing. T without objection, so ordered. As you written test and has been a part of the record the subcommittee ask you limitou yor oral remarks to five minutes. With that, mr. Undersecretary, you are recognized for five minutes. Graves, Ranking Member larsen, chair crawford, Ranking Member norton and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify in for your support as we continue to build a stronger, safer Transportation System. Last month of the administrations of the radar second year of implementing the Infrastructure Investment and jobs act through which weve already implemented 37 new programs and announced funding for more than 40,000 projects and counting in every corner of the country. The department has continued its history of accountability, responsibility and financial stewardship. The team behind the dot implementation efforts 182023 samuel j service to america metal. Its the Public Servants and the work doesnt stop. Just this week as mentioned we announced 650,000,018 projects in rural areas to reconstruct or replace critical roads,