Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Transportation Bill Passage, Calls for Long-Term Reauthorization

WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president and director of policy of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the Senate’s passage of The Highway Transportation Funding Act of 2015. The bill now goes to President Obama’s desk, where he is expected to sign it:

“While this two-month fix may have diverted a disastrous default of The Highway Trust Fund, we are very disappointed that Congress has, once again, failed to provide the long-term, sustained investment in transportation infrastructure that our nation so desperately needs.

Access to transportation is vital to connecting communities to jobs, schools, housing, health care services, and to grocery stores and nutritious food.  But millions of low-income and working families, people of color, and people with disabilities live in communities where quality transportation options are unaffordable, unreliable, or nonexistent.

Congress’ continuing pattern of short-term transportation patches keeps workers out of jobs, undercuts long-term planning, and hinders the nation’s ability to advance to a transportation system that provides for the needs of all its users. Sustained transportation investment is crucial to developing equitable communities, expanding employment opportunities, and boosting our nation’s economic recovery.

Before this short-term fix expires in July, Congress must pass a comprehensive surface transportation bill that includes robust investments in transit and creates affordable and accessible transportation options for the millions of Americans who are transportation-disadvantaged. We look forward to working with Congress to develop and pass transportation legislation driven by principles of economic and social equity.”

Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president and director of policy of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference, visit www.civilrights.org.

The Leadership Conference and PolicyLink co-chair the Transportation Equity Caucus, which represents the nation’s leading civil rights, community development, disability, racial justice, economic justice, faith-based, health, housing, labor, environmental justice, tribal, public interest, women’s groups, and transportation organizations.  Through a coalition of over 100 organizations, the Transportation Equity Caucus is charting a new course for transportation investments, one that is focused on policies that advance economic and social equity in America.  For more information, see http://www.equitycaucus.org.