[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY RELIEF EXTENSION ACT

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                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 1, 2025

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, today I am honored to introduce the 
``Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act'' to safeguard federal 
funding for disaster-recovery projects. I thank U.S. Senator Alex 
Padilla (D-CA) and U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) for sponsoring the 
companion legislation and my colleague, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) 
for cosponsoring the bill. I also want to thank the California 
Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Transportation 
for their support of this critical legislation.
  Americans across the country are facing increasingly frequent and 
severe floods and wildfires due to the climate crisis. When disasters 
strike, our communities deserve nothing less than the full support of 
their federal government. The ``Transportation Emergency Relief 
Extension Act'' will ensure state and local governments have adequate 
time to fully utilize federal funds awarded to repair roads and 
infrastructure damaged by disasters.
  Current U.S. Department of Transportation regulations allow the 
federal government to claw back ``emergency relief'' funding for 
highway projects if those projects do not reach construction within 2 
fiscal years. The ``Transportation Emergency Relief Extension Act'' 
would repeal this regulatory deadline and provide up to 6 years for 
projects awarded these funds to advance to construction. The new 6-year 
deadline would start following the date on which a disaster was 
declared by the respective state's governor or the president.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that any surface transportation reauthorization 
bill this Congress will include the ``Transportation Emergency Relief 
Extension Act.'' As a member of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, I am working with my fellow colleagues deliver this 
critical priority for our communities.

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