During the Congressional Leadership Priorities session at the 2026 AASHTO Washington Briefing, Representative Sam Graves (R-MO), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, shared his vision for surface transportation reauthorization and the path forward in the House. Rep. Graves emphasized the urgency of passing a bipartisan bill on time, describing it as one of the most consequential highway bills in decades due to the growing gap between infrastructure needs and available resources. He outlined plans for a traditional surface transportation bill focused on roads, bridges, transit, and rail, with an emphasis on long-term planning and anticipating future transportation trends. He also highlighted increasing formula funding to states, restoring greater autonomy in how federal dollars are spent, reducing reliance on competitive grants, and providing regulatory certainty so businesses and state partners can plan and invest with confidence.
View From Washington DC
View From Washington DC
