{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361501", "Rep. Graves, Sen. Lee Introduce Highway Funding Reform Bill", "2013-11-14", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "GA", "Tom Graves", "G000560", "tomgraves.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Graves, Sen. Lee Introduce Highway Funding Reform Bill\n                      \n                    \n                        TEA Act Aims To Cut Commute Time, Improve Quality Of Life\n                    \n                    \n                    \n                    \n                    \n                        \n                            Washington,\n                            November 14, 2013\u00a0-\n                         Today, U.S. Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) and U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), along with 20 House and Senate cosponsors, introduced the Transportation Empowerment Act, a bill to open up America\u2019s transportation system to greater local control, better targeted projects, and a more efficient way to maintain and improve the nation\u2019s infrastructure. The bill allows states to respond to the needs of their communities and develop systems that result in less traffic, shorter commutes, access to more affordable homes, and help families better manage the work-life balance. \u201cPeople want to spend less time in traffic and more time enjoying life,\u201d said Rep. Graves, who authored the TEA Act in the last Congress as well. \u201cOur bill does away with the Washington middleman and streamlines the highway program, allowing more projects to be completed at a lower cost. This approach paves the way for commuters to move more easily between home and work, freeing up important family time and cutting out hours of frustration behind the wheel.\u201d\n\"Under the Transportation Empowerment Act, Americans would no longer have to send significant gas-tax revenue to Washington, where sticky-fingered politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists take their cut before sending it back with strings attached,\u201d said Sen. Lee. \"Instead, states and cities could plan, finance, and build better-designed and more affordable projects. Local\u00a0communities\u00a0should finally have the flexibility to develop the kind of transportation system they want, for less money, without politicians and special interests from other parts of the country telling them how, when, what, and where they should build.\u00a0For the country as a whole, our plan would mean a better infrastructure system, new jobs and opportunities, diverse localism, and innovative environmental protection. And for working families, it could mean more access to quality, affordable homes, less time on the road \u2013 and making it home in time for dinner with the kids.\u201d Original cosponsors of the TEA Act are:  \nSen. Marco Rubio (FL) and Reps. Jeff Duncan (SC-3), Rob Woodall (GA-7), Ron DeSantis (FL-6), Bill Huizenga (MI-2), Randy Weber (TX-14), Justin Amash (MI-3), Todd Rokita (IN-4), Lynn Westmoreland (GA-3), Marlin Stutzman (IN-3), Louie Gohmert (TX-1), Trent Franks (AZ-8), Walter Jones (NC-3), Jeb Hensarling (TX-5), Mick Mulvaney (SC-5), David Schweikert (AZ-6), Billy Long (MO-7), Paul Broun (GA-10), Kevin Brady (TX-8), Phil Gingrey (GA-11).\nClick here for more information about the TEA Act or copy and paste this link into your browser:  \n/tea/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://tomgraves.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361501"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.049926970154047, "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"}