Prairie State Wire

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Champaign) recently met with representatives of the Illinois Road and Transport Builders Association to discuss issues affecting the transportation industry. He posted a brief summary of the meeting on Twitter on May 17.

"Earlier today, @RepSamGraves, @RepBost, and I met with @IRTBA members to talk about issues facing the transportation industry. As members of @TransportGOP, we are working to cut red tape and address inflation so we can stretch taxpayer dollars further on infrastructure projects," Davis posted.

On May 11, Davis issued a statement directed at the Biden Administration's action plan on infrastructure permitting.

"This so-called ‘action plan’ is just lip service about infrastructure project permitting. If you look at what the Administration has actually been doing over the last two years, they have been adding more red tape, rolling back previous streamlining reforms, and creating roadblocks to moving forward with desperately needed transportation and energy infrastructure projects," Davis wrote. "The infrastructure law included reforms such as One Federal Decision, and the Administration should focus on implementing those reforms according to the letter of the law. Today’s plan is something else entirely – it’s just another attempt by the Administration to ignore the law as it was written, focus on accelerating the projects that fit its woke agenda, and further dilute federal dollars for infrastructure projects."

In April, Davis and Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer introduced a bill called "the Responsible Better Understanding of Infrastructure Leveraged Dollars (BUILD) Act." The bill is meant to ensure full accountability and oversight of infrastructure spending from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. In the news release about this bill.

"Every federal dollar appropriated for any purpose should be subject to independent oversight and supervision to prevent waste, fraud, or abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Davis said. “With an election coming up and control of Congress on the line, some Democrats are pushing to get as much spending from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill out the door as soon as possible, even without adequate spending controls in place. That’s a recipe for disaster for the American taxpayer, and that’s why I’m proud to join Rep. Meijer in introducing the Responsible BUILD Act. Our legislation will establish a Special IG within DOT to oversee and monitor infrastructure spending.”

As of May 9, the BUILD Act had been introduced and was referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.