Rep. Bentivolio introduces the ROAR Act, bill promises to transform road funding

Rep. Bentivolio introduces the ROAR Act

A bill to transform the way we fund our roads

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Kerry Bentivolio introduced the Repairing Our Aging Roads (ROAR) Act, H.R. 4945. This bill uses the mechanism of war bonds, which is a proven method to tackle national problems, to raise money to fix our infrastructure.
 
“One of the biggest concerns my constituents have is the poor condition of our aging infrastructure,” said Rep. Kerry Bentivolio. “A tough winter left our roads in a condition that is unbecoming of the automobile capital of the world. The pleas of my constituents have fallen on deaf ears in Lansing, while big-government liberals in Washington use infrastructure spending as an opportunity to push useless pet projects.”
 
“It’s time for an innovative approach to fixing our roads,” continued Rep. Bentivolio. “The ROAR Act increases road spending and lets the states decide how to spend the funds rather than bureaucrats in Washington -- without adding a penny to the deficit.”

The ROAR Act orders the Treasury to sell 50 versions of federal bonds, one for each state, capped at an interest rate .25% less than standard bonds. The funds raised go directly to transportation funding in each correlating state, and it must be used to fix transportation systems.

The bill includes a clause that caps each state’s annual account to $2 billion. Additionally, it requires automatic across-the-board spending reductions to federal discretionary accounts, both defense and non-defense, in an amount equal to the total amount of road bonds sold. As a deficit neutral bill, the ROAR Act will not add a single penny to the deficit and help the people of Michigan have better roads.
 
To view the full text of the ROAR Act, click here.

Bentivolio.House.Gov