The following is a statement by Marsha Anderson Bomar, Ph.D., President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):
WASHINGTON, DC. – The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) commends House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chair Sam Graves (R-MO) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA) for introducing the long-awaited Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (BUILD America 250) Act to reauthorize federal surface transportation programs at $580 billion over five years. As we approach the expiration of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in September of this year, the BUILD America 250 Act will sustain investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, transit systems, railroads, and safety programs. These investments are crucial for economic development, efficiency, and public safety.
Investments from the IIJA – which included funding for broadband, energy, transportation, and water systems – led to improved infrastructure conditions throughout the U.S. The 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave the nation a cumulative grade of ‘C’, the highest overall grade issued since the report card series began in 1998, though not a grade American households and businesses deserve to settle for. Most projects made possible by the IIJA are not yet complete, meaning we won’t see the full impact of this legislation for years.
Sustaining these funding levels is essential to improving infrastructure conditions, expanding capacity to meet current and future needs, and ensuring our built environment is more resilient and capable of withstanding environmental and man-made stressors. The BUILD America 250 Act sustains funding levels across key transportation programs through Fiscal Year 2031 and includes provisions that will accelerate project delivery, support digital technologies, and improve safety. The proposed legislation will allow critical projects on our nation’s bridges, roads, rail lines, and transit systems to move forward with the certainty of a federal partner.
Thank you to the House T&I Committee for introducing legislation that will increase efficiency, support growth, and reduce long-term development costs. We urge Congress to quickly review and approve the bill to keep projects moving and further strengthen the American economy.
About the American Society of Civil Engineers
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 160,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on X (Formerly Twitter), @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.