WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) tonight joined a bipartisan majority of the Senate to send the first long-term highway bill in ten years to President Obama’s desk.  

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act lays out a five-year road map for federal highway programs financed by the Highway Trust Fund. This bill will create new jobs, reduce congestion, provide a sustaining boost to our nation’s economy and keep America competitive in the global marketplace.

“For the first time in ten years, we have a long-term highway bill that will allow Arkansas and other states to provide certainty for important infrastructure improvements, which are so vital to our economic well-being. Hundreds of Arkansas projects were at risk of cancellation or further delays if a long-term bill was not passed. Each year, Arkansas produces over $80 billion goods and products that depend on our highways for delivery to customers, so it is vital that this money is returned to our state to improve our infrastructure,” Boozman said.

Boozman expressed confidence that the President will sign the FAST Act into law. 

“The President has indicated that he will sign this bill, which is good news for our economy. The projects themselves create an immediate economic spark for our communities, but the real boon to our economy is in the growth and jobs that come once the projects are completed,” Boozman said. “One of reasons the United States is an economic powerhouse is because of our infrastructure has allowed for us to move goods and services so efficiently. We must ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs to keep America competitive in the global marketplace.”