U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, representing West Virginia and serving as the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, took part in a subcommittee hearing focused on improving America’s transportation infrastructure. The EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee convened to discuss proposals aimed at enhancing surface transportation.
During the session, Senator Capito emphasized the necessity for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill to offer states greater flexibility. She also advocated for permitting reform to enable more efficient project completion. In her remarks, she highlighted that transportation needs vary across states: “We’re not going to build highways in West Virginia the same way that you build them in North Dakota, or Maryland, or other places.”
The senator also sought an update on the reconstruction efforts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. Samantha Biddle from the Maryland Department of Transportation responded by expressing gratitude for federal support and provided an update on ongoing activities: “To date, the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild has been environmentally cleared… we do remain on track to deliver a new bridge as quickly and cost effectively as possible.”
The hearing underscored bipartisan cooperation’s importance in achieving permitting reforms and efficiently utilizing allocated funds.
