Transportation Secretary Speaks With Inhofe About Federal Commitment to Highway Improvements

A day after Sen. Jim Inhofe chaired a Senate subcommittee hearing into the government’s FAST plan to improve highways, bridges and seaways, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao spoke with the senator during a full hearing by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

“Most of us are very, very excited about the prospects of an infrastructure package,” Inhofe told Chao who testified during a hearing entitled: Improving America’s Transportation Infrastructure: The Road Forward.

She testified after Inhofe’s Tuesday hearing in which funding solutions for highway improvements were discussed. 

We had state and local witnesses talking about the different initiatives that they are taking to prioritize infrastructure, including working with the private sector,” Inhofe told Chao. “But there was an overall agreement that the federal government must remain in the lead in our infrastructure investment.” 

Replying to Inhofe asking if this was also the administration’s view, Chao replied, “We are certainly very concerned about this and we are taking the leadership on it.”