releases: https://finkenauer.house.gov/media/press-releases/finkenauer-pushes-iowa-priorities-during-visit-house-transportation
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://finkenauer.house.gov/media/press-releases/finkenauer-pushes-iowa-priorities-during-visit-house-transportation | Finkenauer Pushes Iowa Priorities during Visit from House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman | 2019-10-07 | 2019 | 2019-10 | Democrat | House | IA | Abby Finkenauer | F000467 | finkenauer.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, DC Today, Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (IA-01) hosted House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) in Iowa's First Congressional District. Finkenauer and DeFazio toured infrastructure in Buchanan County and heard from Iowans about the challenges they face while maintaining rural roads and bridges. Finkenauer and DeFazio heard from Buchanan County Engineer Brian Keierleber, then were led on a tour of two bridges in the county which were formerly deemed structurally deficient and improved under Keierleber's leadership while using non-traditional methods. The first, a bride on Lee Avenue in Independence which is made from a railroad car, and the Cedar Rock Bridge which is made from Gruen-Wald Engineered Laminate. Here in Buchanan County we're working to improve our structurally deficient bridges and ensure Iowans have safe infrastructure, said Buchanan County (IA) Engineer Brian Keierleber. I am happy Congresswoman Finkenauer invited the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to our community to see the challenges we're facing, and to see the creative methods we're using to try and address them. Still, we have a lot more work to do and these projects are expensive. I appreciate the congresswoman's efforts to raise awareness of the needs of communities like ours and the needs of local roads across the country. Finkenauer and DeFazio also heard from Iowa labor leaders during a roundtable discussion in Cedar Rapids. During the discussion, the Finkenauer and DeFazio heard about how federal fund-swapping could impact infrastructure projects and the need to expand skilled union apprenticeships and good-paying American jobs. Finkenauer recently called for an investigation into federal fund swapping practices. Monday's tour and roundtable discussion are key in ensuring Iowa's critical infrastructure needs and unique challenges are incorporated in Congress' upcoming work on a Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, along with Chairman DeFazio and Rep. Finkenauer, will play an important role in crafting the next transportation bill. Rebuilding Iowa's infrastructure is one of my top priorities. I am working to make sure a House Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill includes common sense solutions to achieve that goal for Iowans in our district, Congresswoman Finkenauer said, Today, Chairman DeFazio saw first-hand how some of our engineers are forced to get take extreme measures just to ensure Iowans have safe bridges and roads. Our tour today is just one example of how desperately our communities need help. I was glad to join Representative Finkenauer in her home district to tour and learn about local labor and transportation needs, said Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR). We had the opportunity to meet with local engineers, plumbers, pipefitters and more to discuss the challenges and opportunities they face. Representative Finkenauer's commitment to men and women working in the transportation industry is just another reason I am glad to have her as a colleague on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Congresswoman Finkenauer is a member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, and in that role, she continues to elevate the voices of those in Iowa's First Congressional District. Finkenauer recently championed the bipartisan Fixing America's Bridges Act and authored the Rural Road Safety Act with fellow committee member Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR). | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |