NACo urges Congress to maintain existing transportation funding
The National Association of Counties (NACo) urged Congress to maintain full funding levels for surface transportation by extending it in a pair of letters to the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. As current surface transportation authorities are set to expire on Sept. 30, 2026, several organizations are collaborating to ensure the nation’s surface transportation programs are adequately funded as key congressional committees consider extending existing authorities.
Congress reauthorizes the U.S. Department of Transportation, several of its modal administrations and many of their funding programs every five years. The current reauthorization bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was enacted in 2021, will expire on Sept. 30. As the deadline approaches, key committees in the U.S. House and Senate have signaled that a short extension of IIJA may be necessary as they complete work on a new comprehensive highway bill.
In the letters, NACo, as well as state, local and industry coalition partners, urged Congress to include Division J funding in any extension of IIJA authorities to ensure that all programs are extended at current funding levels. Without this, many programs would see significant reductions in funding levels or, possibly, their complete elimination. This would jeopardize critical road, bridge, transit and safety projects in communities across the country.
