{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-davis-ask-biden-administration-rescind-guidance-intended-deter-road", "Graves, Davis Ask Biden Administration to Rescind Guidance Intended to Deter Road Projects", "2022-03-08", "2022", "2022-03", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", "graves", "https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) today joined Highways and Transit Subcommittee Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL) and other Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republicans to ask the Biden administration to rescind guidance intended to delay or deter critical road and highway expansion projects in clear defiance of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).\n\n\u201cRoads and bridges are already far more expensive to build than they were even six months ago. Yet, the Biden Administration is already throwing up roadblocks, refusing to reduce costly regulations and failing to abide by the way the law was written, making it clear that they care more about their agenda than building roads and bridges,\u201d Rep. Sam Graves said. \u201cI applaud Congressman Davis for helping lead the push for answers so we can ensure that the law takes precedence over the Administration\u2019s liberal ideology.\u201d\n\nIn a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the Members took issue with guidance issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on December 16, 2021, which they called \u201ca blatant misapplication of the IIJA.\u201d\n\nIn sending the letter, Rep. Rodney Davis said, \u201cThe Biden Administration has proven they would rather push a far-left agenda instead of following the letter of the law. On this and other issues facing the American people, the Administration has shown they can't be trusted. That\u2019s partly why Republicans in the House are so critical and skeptical of the Administration. T&I Republicans will continue to make sure that the Biden Administration doesn\u2019t act as a roadblock to our state DOT partners. We have an important oversight role to fulfill because the majority refuses to hold President Biden accountable.\u201d\n\nThis FHWA guidance, in direct contradiction of the IIJA, discriminates against such road and highway projects in favor of projects more in line with the administration\u2019s policies on climate change, transportation equity, and non-motorized transportation. Davis and the other Members note that the administration\u2019s policy preferences were considered and rejected during the law\u2019s development.\n\nThey also highlight the IIJA\u2019s One Federal Decision (OFD) provisions, which are intended to significantly streamline the project environmental review process, including the process to \u201csite, construct or reconstruct\u201d projects such as highway expansions. These OFD reforms in the law, which Davis and T&I Republicans have supported for years, are directly contradicted by FHWA\u2019s guidance to delay or deny road and highway expansion projects.\n\n\u201cThe purpose of FHWA\u2019s guidance appears not to inform the public or clarify the statute, but to create altogether new standards and polices for federal funding that conflicts with the language and clear Congressional intent of the IIJA. FHWA\u2019s improper attempt to preempt law\u2026 wrongly seeks to ban what most areas need most \u2013 more capacity,\u201d according to the Members\u2019 letter. \u201cWe respectfully ask that the December 16, 2021, FHWA guidance memorandum be rescinded in its entirety.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:06:17Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-davis-ask-biden-administration-rescind-guidance-intended-deter-road"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9119859896600246, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}