Senate EPW Leaders Outline Highway Bill Challenges
In separate interviews last week, Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) outlined the challenges ahead as the Senate seeks to assemble its proposal to reauthorize federal surface transportation programs. While the House committees of jurisdiction have produced their proposal, which is pending consideration by the full House of Representatives, the four Senate Committees with jurisdiction have not yet released any legislative text.
With current authorizations set to expire on September 30th, Chairman Capito and Ranking Member Whitehouse are in heavy negotiation but note that other committees that must produce bills in the Senate are not making progress with parallel efforts.
The EPW Committee oversees FHWA programs, while the Senate Commerce Committee oversees other DOT modal agencies and the Senate Banking Committee oversees the Federal Transit Administration.
Earlier this month, ATA President & CEO Chris Spear testified before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation where he offered six recommendations for Congress to promote safety and efficiency, from repealing the 12% FET to setting clear federal standards.
ATA strongly supports the Build America 250 Act as passed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and looks forward to working with leaders in Congress to pass a Highway Bill that will address the priorities of the trucking industry.
Bipartisan House Bill Introduced on Idling
Under current New York City regulations, buses and trucks may not idle for more than three minutes in the city or for more than one minute adjacent to a school. The city offers bounties to citizens reporting idling vehicles, with fines ranging from $350-$2,000 per violation. Some New Yorkers have turned collecting a share of these bounties into a full-time profession: the top five earners have collectively pocketed roughly $3.6 million.
On Monday, Reps. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced a bill to establish federal guardrails for over-the-road bus idling rules and to end the New York City program offering citizen bounties—but only for those who target bus operators.
ATA is working to expand the Langworthy-Gottheimer proposal to include trucks in a long-term solution to this problematic local program.
House Appropriators Tee Up Final FY27 Bill for Floor Action
This week, the House Appropriations Committee will consider the Defense Appropriations spending bill, which is the final of 12 spending bills the Committee produces each year. The House has addressed a number of key priorities for the trucking industry, including approving $200 million for truck parking and other pro-trucking priorities in the transportation funding bill, providing resources to combat cargo theft in the Homeland Security and Department of Justice spending bills, and urging the Department of Health and Human Services to finalize guidance for the use of hair testing to detect drug use among commercial motor vehicle drivers in a separate measure. Those bills must now be voted on by the full House of Representatives.
ATA will work with champions in both the House and Senate to advance important spending priorities and policy riders to the President’s desk.
Election Update
Last Tuesday, June 16th, Oklahoma held their primary election and Georgia and Alabama held their runoff races. Notable election results include:
- Georgia – Rep. Mike Collins defeated former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley to be the Republican Senate nominee. Collins will face Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) in November in one of the most expensive races in the country. In the 11th district, local neurosurgeon John Cowan prevailed over Rob Adkerson, former Chief of Staff for Rep. Barry Loudermilk.
- Alabama – Rep. Barry Moore defeated former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in the Republican runoff to fill Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s seat. Moore will now face attorney Everett Wess (D) in November.
- Oklahoma – Rep. Kevin Hern (R) defeated numerous low-profile candidates for the open Senate seat formerly held by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. To fill Hern’s seat, state Rep. Mark Tedford and pastor Jackson Lahmeyer advanced to a runoff over a crowded primary field.
Maryland, New York, Utah, and Colorado will hold their primary elections this week.
Committee Notes
- On Wednesday, June 17th, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs (HSGAC) held a hearing on a group of nominees including David Cummins, who is nominated to serve as the next head of the Transportation Security Administration.
- On Wednesday, June 24, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Subcommittee will hold a hearing on nominations for the Department of Labor statistics team and the National Labor Relations Board.
- Also on Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on nominations to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Department of Transportation, the Surface Transportation Board, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
- That same day, the House Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold a hearing on apprenticeships.
Grassroots Update
This week, the LEAD ATA 2026 cohort will come to Washington to advocate on behalf of the trucking industry.
Interested in participating in Call on Washington or hosting a truck terminal visit with your Member of Congress? Email Abbey Schroeder (aschroeder@trucking.org).
Interested in participating in grassroots advocacy without traveling to D.C.? Please send a letter to your Senators asking for their continued support of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.
The Week Ahead
The House and Senate are in session this week. The next Hill Report will be sent on June 29th.