Gallego, Cruz, Cornyn, Kelly Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Restore Fairness in Federal Highway Funding

WASHINGTON – Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ted Cruz (R-TX),John Cornyn (R-TX),andRep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21)reintroduced theHighway Formula Fairness Act. This bipartisan legislation would modernize the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) distribution formula to ensure states receive a fair share of federal surface transportation funding based on the amount they contribute to the HTF.
“Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, but since the formula used to allocate federal highway funding hasn’t been updated in over twenty years, Arizonans don’t get their fair share of assistance,”said Senator Gallego. “Arizonans pay into the system, and they deserve to see that investment come back home. This bill would finally update those outdated formulas so fast-growing states like ours have the resources we need to maintain our roads, repair our bridges, and keep our communities moving.”
The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is a federal funding mechanism that receives revenue from transportation-related taxes, primarily federal fuel taxes, and provides funding for highways and surface transportation. However, the formula to determine how these federal funds are allocated to states and local governments has not been updated since 2005, despite large population growth in states like Arizona.
TheHighway Formula Fairness Actguarantees that every state receives a proportion of total funding equal to its contribution to the HTF. Additionally, the legislation ensures that all states, including Arizona, receive at least 95 percent of their HTF contributions.
“Texas is the second-largest contributor to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), yet it has received a smaller share relative to its contributions than any other state over the life of the fund. This disparity is particularly untenable because Texas is growing rapidly, with a population that has increased by more than 4 million in a decade,”said Senator Cruz.“This legislation will ensure we have a highway funding formula that guarantees every state receives its fair share of infrastructure investment. It is bipartisan, common sense, and should be advanced by Congress and sent to the President.”
“Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states, but we’ve been shortchanged for decades when it comes to federal funding for our highways, roads, and bridges. Arizonans send their tax dollars to Washington, and we should be getting our fair share back to improve our infrastructure and keep the economy moving,”said Senator Kelly.
“The Lone Star State should not be forced to pay disproportionately more than other states to maintain federal highways, putting an undue burden on Texas taxpayers. By guaranteeing all states receive at least 95% of what they contribute to the Highway Trust Fund, this legislation would ensure fairness, transparency, and predictability for the distribution of federal highway resources and critical infrastructure projects in Texas, and I’m proud to support it,”said Senator Cornyn.
“For too long, Texas has been shortchanged by the Highway Trust Fund, receiving less than our fair share of the dollars we send to Washington. Senator Cruz and I reintroduced this bill to fix that and ensure at least a 95 percent return on every dollar Texans contribute,”said Representative Chip Roy (R-TX-21).
Read the full legislationHERE.